After being nearly absent from southeast Russia for half a century, the tiger population has been restored due to extensive conservation efforts. The Pri-Amur region of Russia was once the tiger’s historic home; however, the big cats faced near extinction by the 1940s due to habitat loss and hunting.
The tiger population dwindled to an estimated 20 to 30 individual cats.
Decades of work by environmentalists successfully reversed the declining population. The tiger population in southeast Russia is now nearing 500 individuals.
The Wildlife Conservation Society helped facilitate a recent recovery push, focusing on orphaned cubs from 2012 to 2021.
The organization rescued wild cubs but minimized human interaction. Rescuers fed the cubs live prey to prepare them for life in their natural habitat.
Researchers monitored the tigers after their release and noted these techniques were effective. Rehabilitated tigers hunted as successfully as their wild counterparts.
An exception occurred when one of the released cubs wandered into China, preying on domestic animals. The tiger fed on 13 farm goats in a single night.
The tiger was recaptured upon returning to Russia and relocated to a zoo.
Despite this incident, rescuers said most rehabilitated tigers are thriving. Rehabilitated tigers reproduced at least six litters, helping to strengthen the species population.
The Wildlife Conservation Society suggested that its approach to tiger reintroduction could serve as a model for future conservation efforts with other species worldwide.
