Tiger population restored in southeast Russia after 50-year absence

[JACK AYLMER]

TIGERS HAD BEEN VIRTUALLY ABSENT IN RUSSIA’S SOUTHEASTERN REGION FOR 50 YEARS.

BUT CONSERVATION EFFORTS HAVE NOW RESTORED THE AREA’S POPULATION OF THIS BIG CAT.

PRIOR TO THE MID-1900’S, TIGERS HISTORICALLY CALLED RUSSIA’S FAR EAST HOME.

THOUGH BY THE 1940’S, HABITAT LOSS AND HUNTING OF THESE ANIMALS DROVE THEIR POPULATION DOWN TO AN ESTIMATED 20 TO 30 INDIVIDUALS.

BUT ENVIRONMENTALISTS HAVE WORKED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES TO BRING TIGERS BACK INTO THE REGION-

WITH THEIR NUMBERS NOW REACHING NEARLY 500 INDIVIDUALS.

THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY ASSISTED IN THE LATEST PUSH TO HELP THESE TIGER NUMBERS REBOUND.

STARTING IN 2012, THE ORGANIZATION SAVED ORPHANED CUBS IN THE WILD, AND THEN MONITORED THE ANIMALS ONCE THEY HAD BEEN RELEASED BACK INTO THEIR NATURAL HABITAT.

WHEN THE CUBS WERE FIRST TAKEN IN-

THEIR CONTACT WITH HUMANS WAS KEPT TO AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM, AND RESCUERS FED THEM LIVE PREY-

TRYING TO BEST SET THEM UP FOR CONTINUED SURVIVAL WHEN RETURNED TO THE WILD.

STUDIES INTO THE CUBS’ BEHAVIOR AFTER BEING TAKEN OUT OF CAPTIVITY SHOWED THESE METHODS WORKED-

AS THE ANIMALS REPORTEDLY HUNTED WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF SUCCESS AS WILD TIGERS.

THERE WAS AN EXCEPTION WHERE ONE OF THE CUBS WANDERED INTO CHINA AND BEGAN PREYING ON DOMESTICATED ANIMALS-

INCLUDING 13 GOATS AT A FARM ONE NIGHT.

THIS TIGER WAS ULTIMATELY RECAPTURED WHEN IT RETURNED TO RUSSIA AND SENT TO A ZOO.

HOWEVER, THE OTHERS HAVE THRIVED IN THE WILD-

AND PRODUCED AT LEAST SIX LITTERS, TOTALING NO LESS THAN 12 NEW CUBS.

THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY SAYS THEIR APPROACH TO REINTRODUCING THE TIGERS BACK INTO THE WILD SHOULD BE REPURPOSED-

ADVOCATING IT BE USED FOR FUTURE CONSERVATION EFFORTS.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M JACK AYLMER.