Warm Places for Females: How Male and Female Tigers Share Amur Oblast

Нега тигрицы. Фото: Олег Богданов, участник конкурса РГО "Самая красивая страна"

Six tigers currently live in Amur Oblast. The predators stay away from people, having chosen comfortable habitats for themselves. While three males gave the warmer south to three females – Sanda, Amba and Elena – they themselves have occupied the northern part of the region. These are the preliminary results of the census of these rare animals. Since mid-January, tiger tracks have been studied by the employees of the Department for the Protection of Wildlife of Amur Oblast.

According to the plan, the census was to be carried out only in Arkharinsky, Bureysky and Romnensky Districts. However, traces of the striped beauties also led the census takers to Selemdzhinsky, Zeysky, Shimanovsky and Magdagachinsky Districts. Observations show that, despite the difficult conditions – high snow cover in the taiga and African swine fever among wild boars – the tigers in Amur Oblast are feeling great.

“We carefully monitor the behavior of the striped animals entrusted to us. We can state that they are doing well. Elena settled in the depths of Khingan Reserve, where she is inaccessible to humans and there is enough food around. Sanda hid as well. As for Amba, who was seen by the inhabitants of Arkharinsky District several times, we are not worried for her either and advise the Amur people not to worry. The tigress is healthy and well-fed, which is evidenced by the examination of her last hunting areas, where the remains of roe deer were found. The males also chose areas where they have enough food, so they keep their distance and they won’t go near people,” said Aleksey Abrosimov, head of the Department for the Protection of the Wildlife of Amur Oblast.

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Следы тигра и человека в Приамурье. Фото: Управление по охране животного мира Амурской области

In total, several dozen people keep count of tigers in Amur Oblast. On public lands, this work is carried out by inspectors of the Regional Department for the Protection of Wildlife; in sanctuaries – by hunting experts of the Directorate for the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas; on private lands – by hunters.

The census of rare predators will end next week. But it is already clear that their number in Amur Oblast has at least tripled since 2015. During the previous census, only one female and one male lived here. The final results of the registration activities, which started in early February in the entire Far East of Russia, will be announced by the specialists from the Amur Tiger Center at the International Forum on Tiger Conservation. The event will take place in September in Vladivostok.

The Russian Geographical Society has been supporting the project “Amur Tiger” since 2010. Its goal is to study the state of the Amur tiger population, develop scientific foundations for the conservation of the rare species, and draw public attention to this problem.