The Amur tiger is not under threat of extinction anymore, said Russian Minister of Justice Konstantin Chuychenko, head of the Amur Tiger Centre Supervisory Board, at a meeting to discuss the conservation of Amur tigers and measures to prevent poaching.

Konstantin Chuychenko, as well as Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev and Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunkov, arrived on a working visit in Khabarovsk, where they held a series of meetings with specialised regional services and departments together with Khabarovsk Territory Governor Mikhail Degtyaryov.

“By protecting the tiger, the top of the food chain, we protect the region’s nature as a whole. Over the last seven years, Russia has made serious progress in preserving the Amur tiger. Moreover, the population has grown 30-40 percent. Hence we can confidently say that the predator is no longer at risk of extinction. Today, its habitat boasts an optimal number of 700 tigers. That is, the population has become resistant to external factors,” Konstantin Chuychenko stressed in his speech.

The meeting participants noted that such a positive trend came on the back of successful work to combat poaching, among other things.

“Common efforts of state bodies, public and scientific organisations are not only aimed at increasing the population and preserving the food supply and habitats, but also at curbing poaching,” Mikhail Degtyaryov believes.

According to the Amur Tiger Centre’s data, the Amur tiger population has recently seen significant growth: today the Khabarovsk Territory is home to 140 tigers protected by Russia’s Red Data Book, while seven years ago there were no more than 110.