Russian: Лазовский государственный заповедник
Location: Russia, Far Eastern Federal District, Primorsky Krai.
Area: 121 hectares
The area of the conservation zone: 15 thousand hectares
Specialty: preservation and study of natural systems of liana cedar-broadleaf forests of the southern Sikhote-Alin, protection and restoration of populations of valuable and rare animals living in them, such as - the Amur tiger, the Amur goral, the Amur leopard, the giant shrew, the common Miniopterus, the Ussuri sika deer.
Date of establishment: February 10, 1935
In 1935, in the south region of the Sikhote-Alin Sudzuhinsky (now Lazovsky) a reserve was established. At first it was the branch of Sikhote-Alin reserve. The conservation zone was designated for protection and study of natural systems of liana coniferous broad-leaved and broad-leaved forests of southern Sikhote-Alin. In prehistoric times alternating cooling and warming in the south of the Far East led to a confusion of the southern and northern forms of life and that defined wide biodiversity in the area.
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In addition to conservation of forests, Lazovsky Reserve was created to protect the endangered animals who lived there. "At risk" are: the Amur goral, the wild sika deer, the sable. By that time tigers did not live in the territory of Sudzuhinsky reserve permanently. The reason for that was that tigers were unmotivatedly, sometimes ruthlessly killed. They were killed throughout the Far East without thinking about the consequences.
With the support of the Russian Geographical Society the staff of the reserve carries out project "Lazovsky district - a model territory to maintain and increase the number of tigers (or How many tigers can live in the south of the Russian Far East)." Its purpose - to identify the factors that determine the size, density and structure of the group of tigers in the reserve, to establish the reasons why local characteristics are optimal. It also requires a detailed study of relationship between the tiger and other species, know the number, density, and feeding habits of all kinds of animals with which the tiger interacts.
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After the creation of reserves, the ban on the hunting and trapping of tiger cubs, the inclusion of a predator in the International Red Book and Red Book of the USSR and the RSFSR, the number of tigers has risen and they began to populate the old places of habitation.
Traces of the striped predator have been seen In Lazovsky reserve since 1947. By the end of ’70 of XX century tigers inhabited the conservation zone. Since then employees of the reserve have been recorded annually 8-16 adult and subadult individuals and 2-3 broods which can be up to eight cubs.
The densest population
The number of tigers is calculated during the winter keepings. The reserve staff records all the traces of predators they see in the snow when passing the persistent routes. The keepers note not only the traces of tigers but also traces of ungulates. Tiger tracks are gauged to determine their prescription. Comparing the results of observations it is possible to obtain information not only on the number of tigers, but also to determine the nature of changes in the number of the species studied, as well as to compare different areas to find out the density of tigers and ungulates.
It was found out that the quantity and density of tigers, as well as ungulates in the reserve is much higher than on the adjacent territory. In addition, there are more cubs in the reserve and the survival rate is higher.
Monitoring the Amur tiger population shows that Lazovsky Reserve maintains the highest density of tigers and ungulates within the areal. Currently the density of the tiger in Lazovsky reserve is two times higher than the average density of the tiger population in other parts of the south of the Far East of Russia. Thus, the reserve can be considered a model site in the study and recovery of the tiger.
Besides, during the study of the tiger the reserve has collected extensive data on other species associated with the tiger. First of all these are the animals hunted by the tiger - spotted deer, wild boars, red deer, roe deer, and Himalayan brown bears, badgers, raccoon dogs.
How many tigers can live in the Far East of Russia?
"Lazovsky district - a model territory to maintain and increase the number of tigers (or How many tigers can live in the south of the Russian Far East" - is a joint project of the reserve and the Russian Geographical Society that will help answer the question how many tigers can live in the Far East of Russia if the habitat protection will be at the proper level.
The aim of this project is a comprehensive study of the Amur tiger in Lazovsky region of Primorsky Krai. In the course of the project it will be necessary to identify the factors that determine the optimum density of the tiger. In other words, we need to figure out the number, density and structure of the group of tigers in the reserve, to determine reasons why these characteristics are optimal. It also requires a detailed study of the relationship between the tiger and other animals. Not only "predator and prey" relations but also host-parasite competition with other predators. It is necessary to to know the number, density, and feeding habits of all animal species which interact with the Amur tiger.
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It is necessary for the project to use not only traditional methods (traces of tracking, route survey of the territory), but modern methods using automatic digital video and still cameras. These cameras are installed in the areas where tigers most likely will pass: trees, rocks on which tigers leave odorous signals, i.e. marks.
The archive of the reserve already has pictures of all the tigers of its territory. Tigers are distinguished by the pattern on the skin, which like human fingerprints is strictly individual. By examining confiscated skins and photographs of dead tigers the reserve staff can identify the animal, to see if it used to live in the reserve.
Diet for the tiger
The increase in the number of tigers and their return to the old habitats could not have happened without the increase in the number of wild boars, red deer, sika deer, roe deer - its basic diet.
Adult tigers can catch big animals, including brown and Himalayan bears. The diet of young animals has been insufficiently studied. It is likely that small-sized animals can be of great importance for their diet: young ungulates, badgers, raccoon dogs and others. Little is known about nutrition of tigers in snow-free season. Victims’ hair remain in the feces of predators which are studied with a microscope can help fill this gap.
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The studies carried out in the reserve have shown that the tiger has no serious food competitors in hunting ungulates. But for small animals which are hunted by young tigers - interspecific competition can be quite intense.
Sometimes tigers can go to settlements and attack pets, creating conflicts and exposing themselves to danger. To solve this problem special methods for scaring tigers away were developed e.g. flavoring agents causing taste aversion to a particular type of victim, repel missiles set near remains of victims of tigers. A tiger comes up to a half-eaten carcass, a rocket fires, the tiger escapes and, as a rule, stops attacking pets. Using these measures, the reserve staff and organization "Society for the protection of the tiger" help wean tigers from certain hunting areas.
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Host-parasite interactions
In nature there are also relationships between species known as «host-parasite" interaction. The knowledge about parasites of a tiger helps combat animal diseases. Through studying composition of parasites of tigers which live in different places, it is possible to determine whether these tigers communicate with each other, and thus to find out whether the areal of the Amur tiger is broken. In its turn, this will help assess the prospects for the conservation of the rare animal.
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The reserve staff always carries out research of the bodies of dead tigers and other animals. This is necessary to determine the causes of their death and to identify various diseases.
All this will help to assess the health status of the tiger and associated animals.
Help in the study of tigers
The study of groups of tigers in Lazovsky Reserve and areas outside the conservation area, the study of food items, competitors, parasites will help answer the question how many tigers can exist in the remaining habitat in the Far East of Russia. The reserve need help of academies, universities and their students, and other reserves and their employees to keep this unique species.
The text was drafted on the basis of Galina Salkina's research paper. She is a senior researcher of Lazovsky Reserve, candidate of biological sciences.
Photo: Press Service of Lazovsky reserve