The Amur Tiger Centre paid cash bonuses to rangers of response teams and regional sanctuaries in the Primorye Territory for their effective work to protect tigers and their prey in the first three quarters of 2019.

Cash bonuses for rangers of the hunting supervision service for countering poaching in the forests of the Primorye Territory, the Amur tiger habitat, is an important component of the efforts to create an effective service for the protection of wildlife in the tiger habitat, which the Amur Tiger Centre is undertaking in cooperation with its partners with a view to reducing poaching.

“Knowing that this land is under constant vigilant protection and that it is possible to encounter a ranger at any time, potential poachers often simply give up their criminal hunting plans. This helps preserve hoofed animals, which is good for both tigers and law-abiding hunters. In this context, we consider the proper ongoing prevention of violations an important part of hunting supervision. Detentions for illegal hunting are also important although dead animals are lost forever. Nevertheless, it is necessary to bring home to poachers that punishment is inevitable. It is better for nature to prevent crimes. This is exactly why we encourage the rangers that scare poachers from going into a forest by their selfless work,” said Sergei Aramilev, director general of the Amur Tiger Centre.

From the start of the year up to 8 November 2019, response teams have conducted 2,191 nature protection raids, during which they issued 995 hunting violation notices. They confiscated 117 firearms (including 26 with a rifled barrel) as well as the carcasses of 12 roe deer, six sika deer, seven Manchurian wapiti (a red deer subspecies) and five boars.

Based on the materials compiled by rangers, investigators initiated seven criminal cases under articles 258.1, 258.2, 222.1, 222.3 and 223.1.