The Ussuri (Amur, Far Eastern) tiger is a subspecies that just recently could have completely disappeared. Besides, Ussurian tiger- the only one living in cold conditions.
This animal was able to achieve the highest skill in hunting because, unlike those living in prides and practicing collective hunting, predator Ussuri tiger is always a pronounced loner.
Features and appearance of the Ussuri tiger
Animal Ussuri tiger strong and powerful, with considerable physical strength. Its weight reaches 300 kg. The maximum weight that was recorded was 384 kg. The body is 1.5 - 3 meters long, and the tail is approximately 1 meter. - a very fast animal, even in snowy terrain it is capable of running at a speed of about 80 km/h.
The body of the animal is flexible, the paws are not too high. The ears are short and small. Only this subspecies has a 5 cm wide layer of fat on its belly, which protects the predator from the icy wind and low temperatures.
In the photo there is a Ussuri tiger
The tiger has color vision. It has thicker fur than tigers that live in warmer climates. The coat is orange, with black stripes on the back and sides, and the belly is white. The pattern on the skin is individual for each animal. The coloring helps the tiger blend in with the trees of the winter taiga.
Habitat of the Ussuri tiger
The largest number of tigers live in southeastern Russia. This is a protected area. The Ussuri tiger lives along the banks of the Amur River, as well as the Ussuri River, which is how it got its name.
Much fewer tigers live in Manchuria (China), approximately 40 - 50 individuals, i.e. 10% of total number tigers in the world. Another distribution area for this subspecies of tigers is Sikhote-Alin, where the only viable population of this species lives.
Character and lifestyle
The Far Eastern tiger lives in a harsh climate: air temperature ranges from -47 degrees in winter to +37 degrees in summer time. When very tired, a tiger can lie down directly on the snow.
Resting in the snow can last up to several hours, and the predator will not feel the cold. This species is uniquely adapted to cold and frost. But for a long rest, he prefers to find shelter among rocks, between ledges, and also under fallen trees.
The female makes a den for the cubs; for this she looks for the most inaccessible place, for example, in an inaccessible rock, in thickets or a cave. Adult males do not need a den.
They prefer to relax just next to their prey. Young tigresses separate from their mother at 1.5–2 years, everything depends on the appearance of the next litter in the female. But they do not go far from their mother’s den, unlike males.
Each tiger lives in an individual area, its area is determined by the number of ungulates. Every day tigers walk around their property. The female and male live in territories of varying sizes.
The male's territory ranges from 600 to 800 square meters. km, and females from about 300 to 500 sq. km. The smallest territory belongs to the female with her cubs. It is up to 30 sq. km. As a rule, several females live in the territory of one male.
On average, a tiger travels a distance of about 20 km per day, but the course can be 40 km. Tigers are animals that love consistency. They use the same trails and regularly mark their territory.
Amur tigers love solitude and never live in packs. During the day they like to lie on the rocks, from where they can see good review. Far Eastern tigers like water; they can lie in or near any body of water for hours. Tigers are excellent swimmers and can even swim across the river.
Diet of the Ussuri tiger
The Far Eastern tiger is a predator; it has large fangs (about 7 cm) with which they catch, kill and dismember prey. It does not chew, but cuts the meat with its molars and then swallows it.
Thanks to the presence of soft pads on its paws, the tiger moves almost silently. Tigers can hunt at any time. Their favorite food is: wapiti, small mammals.
However, sometimes they eat with pleasure and can eat the fruits of some plants. The average individual should eat 9–10 kg of meat per day. At good nutrition The animal quickly gets fat and can then go a week without food.
The predator usually drags its prey to the water, and hides the remaining food in a safe place before going to bed. Eats lying down, holding prey with its paws. Amur tiger It rarely attacks humans. Since 1950, there have only been about 10 recorded cases of this tiger species attacking humans. Even if hunters chase a tiger, it does not attack them.
Reproduction and lifespan
The mating season for tigers does not occur at a specific time of the year, but it still occurs more often towards the end of winter. For childbirth, the female chooses the most impassable and without dangerous place.
Usually the female gives birth to two or three cubs, less often one or four. There are cases of the birth of five tiger cubs. Babies just born are absolutely helpless and weigh up to 1 kg.
However, future predators grow quickly. By two weeks they begin to see and hear. By one month, the tiger cubs have doubled their weight and begin to emerge from the den. From two months they try meat.
But they feed on mother's milk for up to 6 months. First, the tigress brings them food, and then begins to lead them to the prey. At the age of two, tiger cubs begin to hunt with their mother, their weight at this time is about 100 kg.
The male does not help in raising children, although he often lives not far from them. The tiger family breaks up when the cubs reach 2.5 - 3 years old. Tigers grow throughout their lives. Amur tigers live on average about 15 years. They could live up to 50 years, but, as a rule, due to the harsh living conditions, they die early.
In the photo there are cubs of the Ussuri tiger
Conservation of the Ussuri tiger
In the mid-nineteenth century, this type of tiger was quite common. However number Ussuri tigers declined sharply at the beginning of the twentieth century. This is due to the uncontrolled capture of tiger cubs and the shooting of animals, which at that time was not regulated in any way. The harsh climatic conditions of the tiger's habitat were also of considerable importance.
In 1935, a reserve was organized on Sikhote-Alin. From that moment on, hunting for the Far Eastern tiger was banned, and even for zoos, tiger cubs were caught only as an exception.
It is currently unknown How many Ussuri tigers are left?, according to 2015 data, the number of individuals in the Far East was 540. Since 2007, experts have declared that the species is no longer endangered. However, Ussuri tiger in the Red Book Russia is still listed.
The Amur tiger belongs to the cat family. Unfortunately, today this is the smallest subspecies of tigers, and therefore is listed in the Red Book. Unlike his other tribesmen, he is the only one of the tigers who has become comfortable among the snow. It is also called the Ussuri, Siberian or East Siberian tiger. For many centuries, people have been mercilessly destroying these unique cats because of their beautiful skin. Now the number of these individuals is in the hundreds. And if people don’t come to their senses or come to the defense of these beautiful felines, then soon it may disappear from the face of the Earth forever. What kind of animal is this, the Amur tiger?
Territory of residence of the Amur tiger
Now Amur tiger mainly lives in the southeast of Russia, in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories, along the banks of the Amur and Ussuri rivers, which is where its name comes from. The tiger lives permanently only in the southern and central parts of Sikhote-Alin. Part of the tiger population (about 40 individuals) is located in China (Manchuria).
The territory of the Amur tiger is 300-500 sq. km. Each individual is jealous of its possessions, so everything is constantly marked with urine and scratches on the bark of trees. As you remember, what indoor cats do with our armchairs and sofas. The territory is constantly monitored by tigers and the tags are updated.
If there is enough food in the territory of a tiger family, then they do not go to someone else’s territory. But when there is not enough food, tigers can attack livestock and dogs.
Females often live in groups, while males lead a solitary lifestyle. Amur tigers use rock ledges and niches, or voids under fallen trees as a place of refuge.
Description of the Amur tiger
Amur tiger - it is large and strong wild cat, with beautiful thick fur and a five-centimeter layer of fat on the belly, thanks to which the tiger can lie in the snow for hours. The coat color is mainly orange, with black transverse stripes, which serves as good camouflage. The color of the fur on the belly is completely white. There are large white spots on the back of the ears, which serve as a beacon for tiger cubs during hikes.
The body length together with the tail of adult individuals reaches three meters (the tail is 80-100 cm), the height at the withers reaches 115 cm, and such a kitty weighs on average about 200-220 kilograms. A tiger can move in the snow at a speed of 50 km/hour.
The Amur tiger is very silent. They only make a loud roar during the rut. An irritated animal growls dully and hoarsely, and in rage it characteristically “coughs.” In a good mood, Amur tigers purr like domestic cats, only much louder.
The Amur tiger never attacks a person; on the contrary, it tries to avoid such encounters. But since this is still a cat, and all cats are known to be very curious, the tiger looks closely at the person with interest. There are times when tigers turn to people for help. Tiger cubs are easy to tame and respond well to training.
Nutrition of Amur tigers
Amur tigers, like all predators, are primarily nocturnal animals. They do not tolerate heat well, so in summer they prefer to hunt at dusk.
Amur tigers are good hunters, but only one out of ten attempts is successful. Mostly the hunt is for cattle, but sometimes they do not disdain gophers, mice, frogs and even fish. Amur tiger good fisherman, and uses this during fish spawning. They also eat plant fruits as vitamins.
The main food of Amur tigers are sika and red deer, wild boar, roe deer, wapiti, elk, sometimes bear, wolf, lynx, badger, and small mammals. A tiger eats at least 9-10 kilograms of meat per day. One tiger needs 50-70 large ungulates per year.
The predator watches over deer at a watering hole, and chases wild boars for a long time and catches weak and sick animals that lag behind the herd. He also likes to hunt during wapiti mating tournaments. The tiger skillfully imitates the voice of a roaring deer. And when the deer realizes that he has been deceived, he is often no longer able to escape.
A tiger can easily drag prey, one and a half to two times heavier than itself, to a secluded place and feast there for several days.
Reproduction of Amur tigers
Unlike domestic cats, Amur tigers do not breed as intensively. They reach puberty only in the second or fourth year of life. They mate in any season. When a female goes into heat, she marks her territory with urine and leaves special marks on the bark of trees with her claws.
Females give birth once every two years, with an average of two tiger cubs. The mortality rate of tiger cubs is very high, almost 50%.
Sometimes the female herself goes in search of a partner for procreation. Mating occurs many times, so the male remains near the female until the end of estrus (up to 7 days). At the end of estrus, the male leaves to look for another partner.
After 95-112 days, 3-4 blind tiger cubs are born. On the ninth day after birth, the cubs' eyes open. From the second week of their life, teeth begin to grow. Until 5-6 months, kittens feed on their mother’s milk, although from two months they can already leave the shelter and eat the meat that their mother brings them.
From the age of six months, tiger cubs go hunting with their mother and learn all the wisdom of life. And only at one year of age do the cubs begin to go hunting on their own. Until reaching puberty, tiger cubs live and hunt with their mother.
Despite its size, physical strength, and menacing appearance, the tiger is easily vulnerable. And before modern weapons He is generally defenseless against poachers. Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, Thais and Taiwanese pay good money for its skin, bones and carcasses, so until these channels are blocked, Amur tigers will not survive in such conditions.
Where does the biggest cat in the world live? Every schoolchild knows this. The northernmost subspecies of the tiger lives in Primorye and some neighboring areas. One of the most formidable predators ever created by nature, the perfect killing machine. And at the same time, Ussuri tigers - the largest among their fellow tribesmen - are also the least aggressive towards humans. The king of the taiga, who was recently on the verge of extinction, respects people and perceives them as equals.
The Amur tiger (also known as the Ussuri tiger) is one of the largest land predators on our planet. The weight of a large Amur tiger can reach more than 300 kilograms. Some sources report tigers weighing up to 390 kg, although such large tigers are not found now. Body length 160-290 cm, tail - 110 cm. The Amur tiger is an adornment of the Far Eastern taiga and an object of worship of many peoples Far East. This beautiful, exotically colored cat, unrivaled in strength and power in the entire world fauna, is depicted on the flag and coat of arms of the Primorsky Territory, as well as on many heraldic symbols of cities and regions of the region. The history of the species indicates that the tiger is an easily vulnerable animal, despite its large size and enormous physical strength, and it is such that it can drag a horse carcass on the ground for more than 500 m, the tiger is capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 km/h in the snow, second only to the cheetah in speed.
The fate of the Amur tiger is dramatic. IN mid-19th centuries it was numerous. IN late XIX V. Up to 100 animals were hunted annually. In the thirties of the last century, the tiger was occasionally found only in the most remote corners of the Ussuri taiga, difficult to reach by humans. The Amur tiger is on the verge of extinction due to unregulated shooting of adult individuals, intensive capture of tiger cubs, clearing of forests in the vicinity of some rivers and a decrease in the number of wild artiodactyl animals caused by increased hunting pressure and other reasons; Winters with little snow also had an adverse effect. In 1935, a large and one of a kind Sikhote-Alin was organized in the Primorsky Territory state reserve. A little later - Lazovsky and Ussuri nature reserves. Since 1947, tiger hunting was strictly prohibited. Even the capture of tiger cubs for zoos was allowed only on occasion, with special permits. These measures turned out to be timely. Already in 1957, the number of Amur tigers almost doubled compared to the thirties, and by the early sixties it exceeded one hundred. The Amur tiger is protected by the state - it is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation; hunting and catching tigers is prohibited. Since 1998, the federal target program “Conservation of the Amur Tiger”, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, has been implemented.
Of the eight subspecies ( Panthera tigris), traditionally distinguished on the basis of geographical distribution, three Balinese (P.t. balica), Javanese (P.t. sondaica) And Caspian (P.t.virgata) - are now extinct. Moreover, the extinct Caspian (Turanian) tiger is the closest relative of the Amur tiger with which in the not so distant past they had a continuous range. The territorial feature lies in the names of all currently existing tiger subspecies, identified by scientists on the basis of genetic analysis: northern Indochinese (P.t. corbetti), South Chinese(P.t. amoyensis), Malay (P.t. Amoyensi), Sumatran (P.t. sumatrae), Bengal (P.t. tigris), including Amur (P.t. altaica).
Habitat and range of Ussuri tigers
At the end of the 19th century. The area of permanent habitat of the Amur tiger extended to the left bank of the Amur. The northern border of the range stretches from the western foothills of the Lesser Khingan to the mouth of the river. Gorin. Further, descending to the south and going around the axial part of the northern, partly middle Sikhote-Alin, the border went out to the sea. Subsequently, the tiger's range began to shrink significantly, mainly in the north, and by 1940 its border shifted to the river basin. Iman. During these same years, the forest-meadow spaces of the Khanka Lowland and the outskirts of large cities disappeared from their range. Since the early 50s, as a result measures taken protection, the tiger's habitat began to expand noticeably.
The main habitat of the Amur tiger is the south of the Russian Far East. Now Russian tigers occupy almost the entire forest part of the habitats suitable for them in the Primorsky and southern parts of the Khabarovsk Territory. Along the western macroslope of the Sikhote-Alin mountain system, the northern border of its range extends to approximately 50°N, and along the eastern one - 48°30’. The total range of the Amur tiger covers an area of 156,500 km2, of which 123,000 km2. The tiger's range is divided into three foci: the main population lives in Sikhote-Alin; the remaining two outbreaks are located along the southwestern and northwestern borders with China. Moreover, at present, only in Sikhote-Alin is the only viable population of the Amur tiger preserved in the world.
The Amur tiger is an inhabitant of mountainous areas covered with broad-leaved and cedar-broad-leaved forests. Natural conditions The tiger's habitat in Sikhote-Alin is extremely harsh. In winter, the air temperature in certain periods drops to -400 C, and in summer it rises to + 35-370 C. In most habitats, the height of snow cover in the second half of winter is usually within 30-60 cm. The degree of adaptation of the predator to the complex environmental conditions typical for the northern limit of the species' distribution, it is quite high. Low winter temperatures do not affect the life activity of the tiger. He arranges temporary beds directly on the snow and can stay on them for several hours - this adaptability to frost is unique and characteristic only of the Amur subspecies of the tiger. For long-term rest, they prefer shelters - rocky ledges and niches, voids under fallen trees. When there is a lot of snow, moving around the area, tigers willingly use wild boar trails, logging roads, hunter trails, and snowmobile tracks. The tiger especially loves forests with slopes, steep and high cliffs, stone niches and caves. Here the predator always finds food, without difficulty high points survey their possessions, have plenty of convenient places for a den, and raise their striped offspring in solitude. The habitats of most tiger groups are located in the basins of the middle and lower reaches of mountain rivers at altitudes of 400-700 m above sea level. Entries of individual tigers into high mountain areas are rare and only during periods without snow or little snow.
Biology of tigers
The Amur tiger is the largest existing subspecies of tiger. On average, the length of its body with its head is 2 meters, and with its tail reaches 3 meters. An adult female Amur tiger weighs about 130 kg, and a male - 190 kg. However, males can reach 300-350 kg. The weight of a tiger cub at birth does not exceed 1 kg; at 3 months it is 10 kg. A six-month-old tiger cub weighs 30 kg, and only at 2.5 - 3 years old does its weight begin to exceed 100 kg. The Amur tiger has a paler color compared to other subspecies. The main color tone is reddish or buffy. Black or brown transverse stripes run across the entire body. In summer the color is brighter. In winter, the fur of the Amur tiger becomes long and thick. IN natural conditions tigers live on average ten to fifteen years, and in zoos longer. The Amur tiger has practically no enemies. Only a very large one can overcome it Brown bear.
Female Amur tigers reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 years, males approximately a year later. As a rule, the breeding season occurs in the second half of winter, and the appearance of offspring mainly occurs in April-June. After mating, the male leaves the female and does not participate in raising the offspring. The tigress carries cubs for about 100-105 days. Under favorable conditions, females give birth to offspring at least once every two years, and in the event of the death of tiger cubs, in the year of their loss.
The mortality rate of young people is very high, about 50%. Cases of tigers dying from bears and cases of cannibalism are quite rare and do not significantly affect the well-being of the species. There are usually 1-4 tiger cubs in a litter, more often 2-3, less often 5-6. Tiger cubs are born blind. They feed on their mother’s milk for 1.5 to 2 months; they begin to eat meat at the age of two months, but they suck mother’s milk for up to six months. Baby tiger cubs are helpless, but they develop and grow quickly. At the age of two weeks they begin to see and hear, double their weight in a month, become nimble and inquisitive. They get out of the den and even try to climb trees. At this age, tiger cubs reach the weight of a large dog and switch entirely to meat from now on until the end of their days. The mother first brings them fresh food from her hunts, then leads them from one prey to another. Two-year-old tiger cubs weigh up to one hundred kilograms and begin to hunt on their own under the guidance of their mother. The tigress patiently and thoroughly strives to pass on to her heirs all her experience, all her worldly wisdom. She will release her children to live independently in a complex world fully formed and well prepared. The tigress has a lot of worries, and she copes with them alone. The tiger does not take any part in raising his children, although he often lives next to them. A tiger family breaks up when the young ones turn two years old. In the fourth year of life they become independent.
The female makes a den for her cubs in hard-to-reach, and therefore safest places: dense thickets, caves, rock crevices. Adult males, as a rule, do not have a permanent den and usually rest close to their prey. Young females leave their mother's territory at the age of 1.5 to 3 years, depending on whether the female has a new litter or not. Tigresses are more likely to stay close to their mother's territory than tigers. IN wildlife A complete change of generations occurs in 15-20 years, if not in a shorter period.
Each tiger has its own individual habitat, which it walks around regularly. The area of such a site varies and depends on the number of ungulates. The smallest area (10-30 sq. km) is occupied by females with tiger cubs under the age of one year. On average, the range of an adult male is 600-800 km2, and the range of an adult female is 300-500 km2. The tiger is a polygamous animal; in the territory of one male there are usually areas of several females. At the border of the areas of adult tigers, young animals begin an independent life.
The daily movements of tigers are different and depend on whether the animal moves through its habitat, hunts successfully or unsuccessfully, searches for prey or eats it. The average daily movement of an adult male tiger is 9.6 km, the maximum is 41 km. For tigresses, the average movement per day is 7 km, the maximum is 22 km. Tigers are very conservative. They often use the same paths, return to their prey, and regularly appear in places where they met before. Both males and females mark bushes and trees in their territory with a mixture of urine and scent gland secretions. In addition, they leave claw marks on trees or excrement in visible places. The tigers' movement routes around the site are constant and are maintained by the animals from year to year. Tigers are solitary animals. They, unlike lions, do not recognize pack life and love solitude. Tigers are usually active in the evening, in the first half of the night and early in the morning. During the day, they prefer to lie somewhere on a rock or on the crest of a ridge for better review. The tiger is not afraid of heavy snow and severe frosts because of its thick fur and wide paws. In addition, in deep snow it is easier to approach the victim for a sure jump. However, heavy snowfall leads to the death of ungulates, which greatly undermines the tiger's food resources.
Most cats really don't like water. But this does not apply to tigers. The tiger loves water very much; it can lie in the water or near it for hours. Tigers swim well big rivers swim across without difficulty.
This predator has large, well-developed fangs (7.5 cm), using which it grabs, kills and dismembers the carcass. Tigers, like other representatives of the cat family, do not chew, but cut food into pieces with their molars and then swallow. Soft pads allow the tiger to sneak up silently, and on the tiger’s paws there are long claws, reaching 10 cm, for capturing prey.
The Amur tiger goes hunting during the day and at night. The main diet consists of wild boar and wapiti, and in the southwestern regions of Primorye and the Lazovsky Nature Reserve, sika deer. The tiger is a professional hunter. When hunting, he relies mainly on his visual acuity and keen hearing. The tiger, like all cats, has a weak sense of smell. Tigers hunt alone, using two main methods of hunting: hiding prey, or attacking from an ambush. The predator perfectly hears its prey, determines the direction of its movement and sets up an ambush either in front or conceals prey from the side. At the same time, he takes into account the direction of the wind so that it cannot be smelled. Predators lie in wait for ungulates on trails leading to watering holes, salt licks, and feeding grounds. The predator overtakes the pursued animal with several huge rapid jumps - this is the fastest way of running for a tiger. In a short-range throw, like lightning, he covers a distance of 15 meters in a second. But he can’t run for long: he gets tired. This is why the tiger always tries to sneak up as close as possible in order to finish the hunt with a few jumps. A victim overtaken by it rarely escapes.
A tiger eats quite a lot: up to 30 - 40 kilograms at a time. A hungry large animal can eat 50 kilograms of meat. Usually, a wapiti or a wild boar weighing one and a half centners lasts him for a week, and a large elk or bear - for 10 days. After a successful hunt and resting on plentiful food, the tiger does not always manage to immediately get another animal, and then he does not eat for several days in a row. The tiger endures even a long hunger strike without consequences for its body, because the layer of fat on its sides and belly reaches a thickness of five centimeters. For the prosperous existence of one tiger, about 400-500 wapiti, sika deer, roe deer and wild boars combined are needed. If there is a shortage of these animals in nature, tigers can attack livestock and dogs. But, unlike Indian tigers, specialized man-eaters are almost never found among Amur tigers. The probability of a tragic outcome in collisions between an Amur tiger and a human is hundredths of a percent.
Number and threats to the population
The number of tigers in the south of the Russian Far East in the past can only be judged by indirect data. So at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, 120-150 tigers were killed here annually. Intensive extermination of these predators, accompanied by a reduction in their habitats under the influence of economic activity humans, led to the fact that already at the beginning of this century the number of tigers began to fall sharply. By the end of the 30s, the Amur tiger was on the verge of extinction - only no more than 50 individuals remained. The situation began to change for the better only after conservation measures were taken - a ban on hunting tigers (1947) and catching them (1956-60) with its subsequent restriction.
The maximum population density of these animals, according to the results of the latest censuses, was noted in the Sikhote-Alin, Lazovsky reserves and adjacent territories (up to 5-7 individuals per 1000 km2), as well as on the western macroslopes of the middle Sikhote-Alin, i.e. in areas least affected by human economic activity. With minimal numbers, tigers inhabit the northern Sikhote-Alin, where the most difficult living conditions are characteristic of the northern limit of the species' range, as well as the southern developed and densely populated areas of the Primorsky Territory (1-2 individuals/1000 km2).
Main reasons for the decline in tiger numbers
Habitat degradation: massive logging and frequent forest fires are leading to increasing destruction of the Amur tiger's habitat. In the Russian Far East, a full-fledged tiger reserve with an area of about 30,000 hectares disappears every three years.
Depletion of food resources: currently there is a significant reduction in the number of wapiti, wild boar, roe deer, sika deer, which make up the food supply of the predator. The growing imbalance in the numbers of the predator and its main victims is one of the significant negative factors affecting the population size.
Fragmentation of the range: due to anthropogenic influence on the habitat, the tiger population is not a single whole, but dozens of small pockets isolated from each other. This leads to a decrease in genetic diversity.
The main limiting factor is poaching, which has become last years commercial in nature. Tiger products are sold in most countries of East Asia as valuable medicinal raw materials. Some models predict that if 5% of individuals are killed annually, the population will disappear within 50 years.
The Amur tiger is one of the rarest representatives of the world fauna. As an object of the first category of threat of extinction, it is included in the Red Books of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Russia, and is included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
In the Red Book Russian Federation The Amur tiger has category II as a rare, declining subspecies, which, with further exposure to unfavorable factors, may fall into the category of endangered.
Following the 2007 winter census, it was announced that the Amur tiger population had reached a century high and that the tiger was no longer on the verge of extinction. Now 90% of the total population of Amur tigers is concentrated in our country, and that is why Russia is responsible for the conservation of the Amur tiger on a global scale. Although there is currently no direct threat of extinction for the Amur tiger, its future continues to cause concern.
The number of Amur tigers in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories is 340-420 adults and about 100 cubs. As of February 20, 2007, 450 individuals were kept in zoos around the world (844 individuals as of January 1, 1979).
Since the typical habitat of the Amur tiger is mixed forests Manchurian type (cedar-broad-leaved), covering the slopes of mountains and hills, preserving coniferous-broad-leaved forests with all their inhabitants, we also preserve the Amur tiger, since it is impossible to save a species located at the top of the food pyramid without taking any measures to save its habitat and animals that make up its food supply. Tiger conservation activities also include organizing and facilitating the work of anti-poaching teams, creating and supporting protected areas, fighting forest fires and illegal logging, educational programs with the local population, border guards, children.
Compiled by: Ph.D. Petr Sharov and Olga Kuzminova, photo: Petr Sharov
RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF PEOPLE AND KEEPING PETS IN TIGER HABITAT IN THE TERRITORY OF PRIMORSKY TERRITORY
The Amur tiger, the largest cat on Earth, is preserved almost only in Russia in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories. The Amur tiger is protected by the state - it is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation; hunting and catching tigers is prohibited. Since 1998, the federal target program “Conservation of the Amur Tiger”, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, has been implemented. The Amur tiger is a decoration of the Far Eastern taiga and the pride of Russians. At the same time, the Amur tiger is a strong and dangerous predator; proximity to it requires caution and certain rules behavior. It must be remembered that in the vast majority of cases, conflict situations are created by man himself, often due to ignorance or non-compliance with the rules of behavior in the places where the tiger lives. The tiger is one of the most perfect predators on earth. He approaches his victim unnoticed and kills him after a lightning throw. Therefore, if a tiger comes into your field of vision, then most likely it is not going to attack you, and correct behavior will help avoid conflict. Composure and self-control are the main components of human behavior when meeting a tiger. The purpose of these Rules is to ensure the safety of people in the forest, to minimize the likelihood of conflict situations, which will significantly increase the possibility of “peaceful coexistence” of tigers and people. SITUATIONS IN WHICH TIGER ENCOUNTERS MOST OCCUR
1. Tigress with kittens. A serious danger arises when a person suddenly appears at a den with newborns. As a rule, the animal emits a warning roar. In this case, you should turn back without panic and bypass the dangerous place by at least half a kilometer. The critical distance that prompts the female to attack is about 100 m. When meeting tiger cubs in the absence of the female, it is strictly forbidden to catch them. The female can leave her offspring unattended for a long time, and maturing kittens often take independent walks. Due to a lack of experience, tiger cubs are not careful, and this is the reason for their encounters with people, especially on roads, which the animals readily use. But even a small tiger cub is able to fend for itself and can inflict fatal wounds. In addition, there may be a female nearby, whose behavior in such a situation is unpredictable. The animal can rush to defense, not paying attention to people and vehicles. In case of repeated encounters with tiger cubs on the roads, it is necessary to report this to the State Committee for Environmental Protection of the Primorsky Territory or the Rai (mountain) environmental protection committees.
2. Tiger and dog. Tiger has an inexplicable affinity for domestic dogs. He can accompany a person and a dog for hours and neither the owner nor the dog detects the presence of the animal. The tiger chooses the moment when the dog moves away from the owner. She usually disappears without a trace and silently - the tiger kills her instantly. Often, tracking a dog lasts for several days; the tiger accompanies a person to his forest home. In this case, not only the dog is doomed, but the person is also in serious danger. Sometimes the tiger's first jump on the dog is unsuccessful and the dog rushes to the protection of its owner. An excited predator is no longer able to stop; he, as a rule, does not pay attention to the person and the tragedy occurs literally under the feet of the owner. A tiger that takes a dog usually leaves a person alone. Under no circumstances should you follow his trail - the dog cannot be helped, but you can provoke the predator to protect the prey. Sometimes the dog manages to detect the pursuer: it becomes lethargic, huddles at the owner’s feet, whines, and flinches at every rustle. In such a situation, it is recommended to fire several shots into the air, fire a flare, and if there is no weapon, knock on the pot, the trunk of a tree and noisily leave the dangerous place without panicking.
3. Tiger near the prey. If the prey belongs to a hunter, then, having discovered tiger tracks, you need to announce your presence with noise characteristic of a person - a gunshot, the sound of metal, loud conversation, knocking on trees. Under normal conditions, a tiger does not touch an animal hunted by a hunter. Moreover, a normal, healthy predator abandons its prey when it discovers traces of a person next to it. Warned by the noise, the animal will leave, but if it suddenly appears, the animal may rush towards the person. You should not approach a tiger's prey. Excessive curiosity can lead to tragic consequences for another reason: a bear, which at such moments is extremely aggressive, can eat the remains of the prey. The situation is dangerous when a tiger and a hunter steal the same prey. A predator in a state of excitement is capable of rushing at a competitor, but is usually limited to a warning roar after the deer or wild boar have discovered their pursuers and left. Sometimes he makes demonstrative throws towards the hunter, provoking a shot, and here the hunter is required to show composure.
4. Injured or hungry tiger. An injured tiger loses the ability to hunt successfully. But not only injured or old animals can go hungry. In nature, conditions are often unfavorable for tigers to hunt. The feeling of hunger prompts him to go out to populated areas, visit garbage dumps, eat carrion, and attack livestock and dogs. Unusual behavior of the animal becomes noticeable and should be immediately reported to environmental organizations. The appearance of such a predator poses a serious threat; being near it in the area is possible only in cases of extreme necessity and for experienced and well-armed people. Blood on tracks or tracks, an unusually small step are the first signs that should alert you. In such cases, it is not recommended to travel alone, and you must have protective equipment with you. The best option– leave the dangerous territory until the situation is clarified. The sharp decline in the number of ungulates also increases the risk of tiger attacks. Such phenomena must be monitored by bodies specially authorized for this purpose, promptly warn the local population and limit visiting the sites alone. Short-term (up to half a month) unfavourable conditions do not cause negative changes in the tiger’s behavior - it eats up the remains of past meals and is content with random prey.
5. Tiger in a trap. In recent years, poachers have been using snares and leg traps to catch tigers. An animal caught in them can pose a mortal danger to an approaching person. Then he hides and briefly makes a desperate jerk towards the “offender”. If the cable breaks, then the rescue of the curious person is unlikely. As a rule, people who are not involved in poaching suffer. Freed from the trap, the injured beast becomes extremely dangerous.
6. Tiger on the road. A tiger may appear on the road while crossing or out of curiosity. It does not pose a danger to motorists if you do not stop and get out of the car. Motorcyclists should not approach the animal at a dangerous distance. You need to quickly decide on the spot: continue at speed or turn around. The cyclist needs to dismount and leave the meeting place without fuss, without turning his back to the tiger, talking loudly to him.
7. Threatening behavior of a tiger. The appearance of a tiger in sight serves as a warning. Usually the animal behaves secretly. He studies people by smells, sounds, looks from hiding, receiving all the necessary information about us. Deviation from this norm of behavior should raise alarm bells - the animal is potentially dangerous, and precautions must be taken. By its appearance, a tiger can warn of nearby cubs or prey. But there may be another reason - the beast regards a person as an undesirable competitor. The demonstrative appearance of a tiger means that he is not going to hunt a person, but warns who is the boss here. Therefore, you should leave the dangerous area and under no circumstances shoot at the tiger. Demonstrative behavior also includes the roar of a tiger, which it emits while moving parallel to a person. This is most often observed in dark time days. There is no direct threat of attack, but a powerful roar causes severe stress. Such predators should be deterred by affirming human strength and leadership. To do this, you need to shout, make noise, shoot up and, without fuss or panic, and under no circumstances running away, leave the dangerous place.
BEHAVIOR OF A TIGER WHEN ATTACKING
In a face-to-face meeting that is unexpected for both sides, even an exhausted animal does not immediately make a decision. In such a situation, a person has time to assess the situation. More often, the tiger freezes for a while, tenses up, emits a threatening roar, and may make a false charge. If the animal is tense, the ears are tightly pressed, the hair on the head and nape is raised, the tail is nervously wriggling - the situation is extremely dangerous and you need to act immediately. In cases where the animal is pursuing or when it has nowhere to retreat, the tiger is forced to defend itself and may attack. It usually knocks a person down, can bite a hand if the victim resists, and usually walks away. A tiger rarely sees a person as prey, so an attempt to attack should not be confused with a demonstration of it. False throws towards a person are of a warning nature and, paradoxically, most tragedies happen to people who have weapons in their hands. A hasty shot at an animal can only provoke it to attack, especially if it is wounded.
PREVENTION OF ATTACKS
1. Before visiting an area where tigers live, it is necessary to collect information about the behavior of tigers. If there are cases of dogs disappearing, attacks on livestock, or visual sightings of a tiger are frequent, it is better to abandon your intention, or take all necessary precautions.
2. In the vast majority of cases, tiger attacks on humans and domestic animals are provoked by a lack of food resources. Therefore, in each tiger habitat, the issue of opening hunts for ungulates can only be resolved if there is a scientifically proven number of animals that are prey for the tiger. General shooting of ungulates different types should not exceed 50-70% of the removal rate established without “adjustment” for the tiger.
3. It is necessary to monitor the sanitary condition of the surroundings of populated areas, camps, bases, hunting huts, etc., to prevent garbage dumps and garbage dumps that attract predators. It is strictly forbidden to scatter the carcasses of skinned fur-bearing animals near hunting huts.
4. The use of hunting dogs in tiger habitats is highly undesirable. Dogs not only inevitably die themselves, but also attract the tiger to humans. The tiger rarely approaches huts where there are no dogs. It is prohibited to keep dogs loose near hunting huts, in apiaries, dachas, summer camps livestock
5. It is prohibited to approach a tiger’s prey, even if there are no fresh tracks, much less take it away.
6. Tourists, mushroom and berry pickers are recommended to walk in groups of at least three people in tiger habitats. When you encounter tiger tracks, you should create noise - talk loudly, call to each other. The metallic sound of a pot or bucket scares away a predator.
7. The use of horses is undesirable. If they are present, they should not be left unattended. Often, horses attract not only a tiger, but also a bear to their campsite.
8. Expedition employees must have tiger-repellent protective equipment. Light and sound flares are the most effective. False flares, gas pistols, and spray cans with a repellent composition are also recommended. They should always be at hand and ready for instant use.
10. When you encounter fresh tracks of a tiger, you need to take precautions and be extremely careful. Hiding, sneaking a step can mislead the predator and arouse unnecessary interest in him. Conversely, a noise characteristic of a person will warn him.
11. If you cannot avoid a meeting with a tiger, it is recommended:
Try to drive him away with noise: knocking on metal, trees, shooting in the air, launching signal flares, and at a short distance - with a flare. Large predators are well versed in the intonation of the sounds produced, and a hysterical human cry with notes of animal fear (as dying victims scream) will not frighten a tiger, so you should speak calmly and confidently;
If the tiger is excited, makes attempts to approach or leaves, but returns, this is a warning of serious danger, and, if space and time permit, it is recommended to climb a tree. However, you should only climb a tree if you are sure that you can do it (there have been cases when a tiger pulled down a person climbing a tree). The tiger can go on a long siege, but this is not worst way out. If possible, you can try to drive away the beast with a lit rag or other available means.
If suitable trees no, but the predator is approaching, you should not lose your composure, panic in this case is a bad ally. Repeated investigations similar situations show that if the person himself does not “turn on” the predator with fuss and hysteria, retreats without sudden movements, backing away and without showing the back of his head, while calmly explaining to the animal the “dishonesty” of his actions - the predator, after a short accompaniment, leaves the person alone. As you retreat, it is useful to leave a backpack, hat, jacket or other equipment - this distracts the animal and relieves its excitement. Under no circumstances should you run away and turn your back on the tiger!
DEFENSE TECHNIQUES WHEN ATTACKED
If the attack is provoked and the tiger does not intend to devour the downed person, the conflict usually ends with varying degrees of injury. Recommend best option protection that guarantees complete preservation of health is not possible. But life can be saved even in the most critical situations.
1. A tiger attacking at high speed with all signs of aggression can only be stopped by a lethal shot. You need to hit it in the forehead, in the mouth, or in the neck while jumping in order to immobilize the animal with the first bullet. Therefore, you should shoot short - no further than 10 m, but in this case there is no time left for the second shot. Under no circumstances should you chase a wounded tiger. As experience shows, by chasing a wounded tiger, especially alone, you are almost one hundred percent guaranteeing lifelong disability or instant death. When deciding to use weapons, you should remember that the tiger is protected by law, and only a proven need for self-defense will allow you to avoid punishment for the destruction of a rare animal in the future.
2. If a tiger knocks a person down and does not kill him in the first moment, there is a chance to remain alive. It is recommended to lie down and take no action. Resistance with bare hands is useless - it will only lead to unnecessary injuries. Usually in such a situation those who survived were those who lay motionless, hysterical screams and fuss. The excited animal gradually calms down and leaves the victim alone.
3. If the predator continues to torment the person, a pistol shot or a knife attack is possible. The bullet must hit the spine or head to paralyze the animal. From a gas pistol you need to shoot at the open mouth or eyes. A blow with a knife can be effective if the length of its blade is at least 18-20 cm, and it should be struck under the shoulder blade or in the sternum area. The end of the blade should be slightly rounded so that it can slide into the intercostal space and not get stuck in the bone.
1. Free grazing of livestock is unacceptable. Grazing should take place only during daylight hours and only accompanied by a shepherd, who should have means personal protection and repelling predators. At night, livestock should take shelter in secure yards.
2. Farms and pigsties located in forest villages or on the outskirts of villages must be fenced with a net or fence of at least 2.5 m. The fence must reliably protect animals from the penetration of a tiger or bear. Special attention should be given to summer livestock camps - they should be securely fenced and guarded at night. It is extremely advisable to use methods to scare tigers away.
3. All corpses of dead animals must be disposed of by burning.
5. At hunting huts, in summer livestock camps, in apiaries, dachas and other similar places, domestic dogs are mandatory must be on a leash. At the same time, dogs must be protected from possible tiger attacks. For this purpose, shelters should be made for dogs, for example, narrow openings under a house, barn, etc., which will be inaccessible to the tiger.
6. While in the area outside the hunting season, as well as in the absence of a license or permit, the hunter must keep the dog on a leash.
METHODS OF REPELLING TIGERS
Tigers are afraid of noise and sound effects. Therefore, when meeting a tiger, you should make as much noise as possible. It must be remembered that an upward shot will scare off the animal faster than a shot to kill, after which the wounded animal becomes mortally dangerous. The most effective and accessible method of scaring is the use of signal pyrotechnics. These include signal light and sound flares, as well as flares, the acquisition of which does not require special permits. The rocket should not be launched straight up, but over the tiger. For greater efficiency, it is better to use several missiles at the same time. When working with missiles, it is necessary to observe safety measures, including fire safety measures. After the missile is launched and the tiger leaves, you should make sure that no fire occurs at the site where the missile hit. To scare tigers away from homes and farms, it is recommended to light fires around them at night, burn car tires, and fire flares. The launch is especially effective if the rocket is tied above a hollow metal container in such a way that its rear end is half lowered into this container. The rocket cover is unscrewed and a rope is tied to the trigger cord ring, which is pulled into the shelter where the person is located. The noise from the launch of such a missile will scare away the tiger for a long time.
All cases of attacks on humans and livestock should be immediately reported to environmental authorities, who are required to warn the local population and conduct an investigation. If it is determined that the tiger posed a danger, it is subject to seizure, which is carried out by authorized specialists with the permission of the State Committee for Ecology of Russia.
You should always remember that when meeting a tiger, you MUST NOT: panic and fuss, run away, turn your back to the tiger, shoot at the tiger.
Authors: Yu.M. Dunishenko (FEB All-Russian Research Institute of Hunting and Fur Farming), Ph.D. Yu.N. Smirnov (Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve), G. Salkina (Lazovsky Nature Reserve), I. G. Nikolaev, Ph.D. V.G. Yudin (Institute of Biology and Soil Sciences, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences) Editor – Ph.D. G.V. Kolonin (State Committee of the Russian Federation for Environmental Protection) Reviewer – Ph.D. V.V. Gaponov (Administration of the Primorsky Territory), photo: P. O. Sharova
The Ussuri (Amur) tiger is very rare breed tigers, which was included in the Red Book. As you know, only endangered species of animals and plants appear on the pages of the Red Book. We became interested in why these beautiful predators began to disappear and what people are doing to preserve this species. This is the relevance of our work.
To solve these problems, we used the following methods of obtaining information: studying literary and encyclopedic sources, Internet resources; techniques for processing information using Microsoft programs Office Word, Microsoft Office Power Point.
Chapter I. Main characteristics of the Ussuri tiger.
The Ussuri (Amur) tiger is a very rare breed of tigers, which was included in the Red Book. In the south of the Russian Far East, this tiger lives in the territory of Primorye, Lozovsky district and Amur region. Now the Ussuri (Amur) tiger lives only in the foothills of the Sikhote-Alin. . It is planned to soon resettle Amur tigers in the territory of the Pleistocene Park located in Yakutia.
Due to its largest size, the Ussuri tiger is the only one of the five existing subspecies of the tiger. This breed of tiger has the thickest and longest fur. The weight of a large Ussuri tiger reaches 300 - 350 kilograms with a body length from nose to tail root of up to 2.5 - 3 meters.
In natural conditions, tigers live on average ten to fifteen years, and in zoos longer. They grow throughout their lives and therefore reach their largest size in old age. The Amur tiger has practically no enemies. Only a very large brown bear can overcome it. .
Chapter II. Habitat of the striped predator.
II. 1. Habitats.
Typical habitats of the Amur tiger are mountain broad-leaved and cedar-broad-leaved forests. . He especially loves forests with slopes, steep and high cliffs, stone niches and caves. Here the predator always finds food, easily surveys its possessions from high points, has plenty of convenient places for a den, and raises its striped offspring in solitude.
Tigers usually live sedentary lives, each in their own individual hunting area. The male and female are nearby. Animals protect their territory from aliens and resolutely drive away their fellow animals and other large predators. Tigers are solitary animals. They, unlike lions, do not recognize pack life and love solitude. They are aggressive even with their relatives, especially with those encroaching on someone else's territory. Females often sleep with their cubs. .
The predator adapts very well to difficult environmental conditions. He lies down in the snow, possibly for several hours. . At large quantities In the snow, they use boar paths, timber truck roads, hunting trails, and snowmobile tracks.
They move through the same areas. Adults or families move along their own paths. They live in areas of different sizes and they depend on different parameters: the sex of the animal, age, presence of tiger cubs, and tiger prey.
Where adult males live, several females may also live. Their movements depend on whether the animal is walking around the area, or hunting, looking for prey, or eating it. On average, an adult tiger walks 9.6 km per day, with a maximum of 41 km. The tigress walks 7 km per day and a maximum of 22 km.
II. 2. Nutritional features.
The Ussuri tiger eats quite a lot: up to 30 - 40 kilograms at a time. A hungry large animal can eat 50 kilograms of meat. Usually, a wapiti or a wild boar weighing one and a half centners lasts him for a week, and a large elk or bear - for 10 days. . After a successful hunt and resting on plentiful food, the tiger does not always manage to immediately get another animal, and then he does not eat for several days in a row. The tiger endures even a long hunger strike without consequences for its body, because the layer of fat on its sides and belly reaches a thickness of five centimeters.
The tiger is most interested in wild boar and wapiti, although it occasionally hunts elk, bear, roe deer, and sometimes even a hare. The tiger is a professional hunter. When hunting, he relies mainly on his visual acuity and keen hearing. The tiger, like all cats, has a weak sense of smell. It carefully guards the intended victim, skillfully conceals it, and then overtakes it with rapid leaps. In a short-range throw, like lightning, he covers a distance of 15 meters in a second. But he can’t run for long: he gets tired. This is why the tiger always tries to sneak up as close as possible in order to finish the hunt with a few jumps. A victim overtaken by it rarely escapes.
Chapter III. Raising offspring.
Tigers have weddings in any month, but most often at the end of winter. In the fierce fights of male Ussuri tigers, the eternal question is being resolved: who will get the right to leave offspring. Of course, he is left by the most strong predator. It is generally accepted that many animals die in fights. This is not true at all. The fights between the males are very impressive: the tigers roar throughout the entire area, their fur stands on end, their eyes begin to sparkle, the males hit each other with their front paws while standing on their hind paws and make interesting jumps. The defeated person is usually not beaten to death. The weak, as soon as they realize that they are losing, tend to retreat quickly, while the strong show generosity.
Soon the fighting season passes and the mating season arrives.
After 3.5 months, in the most remote, impassable place, a solitary tigress gives birth to cubs. Usually there are two or three, sometimes one or four, and very rarely five. The babies are helpless, weigh no more than a kilogram, but develop and grow quickly. At the age of two weeks they begin to see and hear, double their weight in a month, become nimble and inquisitive. They get out of the den and even try to climb trees. They begin to eat meat at the age of two months, but mother's milk is sucked until six months. At this age, tiger cubs reach the weight of a large dog and switch entirely to meat - from now on until the end of their days.
The mother first brings them fresh food from her hunts, then leads them from one prey to another. Two-year-old tiger cubs weigh up to one hundred kilograms and begin to hunt on their own under the guidance of their mother. The tigress patiently and thoroughly strives to pass on to her heirs all her experience, all her worldly wisdom. She will release her children to live independently in a complex world fully formed and well prepared. The tigress has a lot of worries, and she copes with them alone. The tiger does not take any part in raising his children, although he often lives next to them. A tiger family breaks up when the young ones turn three years old. In the fourth year of life they become independent.
Little cubs of Ussuri tigers leave the territory belonging to their father. At the same time, it is much easier for young tigresses than for tigers. Young males go to inconspicuous, completely unoccupied lands or conquer them from other tigers. Sometimes they manage to live for quite a long time undetected in the territory of other tigers, and when they grow up, they usually win it back. There were even cases when young males took over territory belonging to their father. Well, when a place is found, tigers mark it everywhere with their urine. After about a year or several months, young tigers are already trying to attract young females to their territory. They are attracted by the smell of prey, the call sign of a roar or night games. This is how the new tiger generation begins to live. After about 5-6 months, the cubs appear, and everything starts again.
Chapter IV. Factors influencing the development of the Ussuri tiger population.
Now the number of tigers in the south of the Russian Far East can only be judged by indirect data. Previously, 120-150 tigers were killed here every year. As a result, already at the beginning of the last century, the number of tigers began to fall sharply. And in the 30s of the last century, the Ussuri tiger was almost exterminated; 50 individuals remained before complete extermination. And only later, when they began to be protected, the situation changed for the better.
The maximum population of this tiger species was noted in the Sikhote-Alin and Lozovsky reserves; on the western slopes of the middle Sikhote-Alin, in other words, where there is human agriculture. The minimum population is in the north of Sikhote-Alin, because there are the most difficult conditions for existence; V southern region Primorsky Krai.
One of the most important factors is poaching, which Lately became commercial. Tiger skin is in great demand as a medicine in East Asia and is very expensive.
Another negative factor is the imbalance between predator and prey. Due to the settlement of the territories of the Primorsky Territory by people, the habitat of the Ussuri tiger is becoming smaller and smaller, and the number of animals that are prey for the predator is decreasing.
Chapter V. Protection of a rare predator.
They began to protect it in Russia in 1977; hunting it was categorically prohibited. Recently, it has become protected all over the world, so it was listed in >. Currently, Russia and America, as part of the Amur Tiger project, are studying population growth using radio tracking. The countries neighboring Russia, the People's Republic of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, have also begun to carry out work on tigers and leopards. Also prepared > in which the main objective- preservation of the natural population of one of the most beautiful subspecies of cats - the Amur tiger.
After reading information about one of the rarest predators, I learned that they live next to us. It is difficult to find an animal on Earth that would be as powerful and dexterous, beautiful and fearless and as widely known to people of all continents as the tiger. The tiger is one of the largest land predators on our planet, which is listed internationally and is under the protection of people all over the world. Therefore, I will also make every effort to protect them. I won't hunt these animals when I grow up. In the meantime I want to give helpful advice for all children: it is best to go to the forest to pick mushrooms or to the river in the company of adults. You never know what kind of meeting awaits you there. Our planet is full of life. Let's save it for a full life!
The Amur tiger (Far Eastern or Siberian tiger) is larger in size than all living cats; it is competed only by its Bengal relatives. The beast stands at the peak of the ecological pyramid, the main structural element which are the endless expanses of the Ussuri taiga.
Perhaps this is why this predator has another name, reflecting its place of residence - the Ussuri tiger. The animal belongs to the genus Panthera, species Tigris. Complete Latin name individuals - Panthera tigris altaica.
The indigenous inhabitants of the Far East, the Evenks, called the beast “Amba,” which translated into Russian means “huge” or “great.” Books and fairy tales have been written about the Amur tiger, some of them have been filmed (the film “Dersu Uzala”, the cartoon “Tiger Cub on a Sunflower”).
Distribution area
The Far Eastern tiger was once widespread throughout the Far East, but now the predator’s range is limited to the southern part of the Khabarovsk Territory, Primorsky Territory, and the northern and eastern regions of China. The distribution is focal in nature, the total area occupies a little more than 180 thousand km 2.
The Ussuri region, where the Amur tiger lives, is characterized by extreme climatic conditions with very cold winter and hot, rainy summers, has a mountainous relief, rich in various forms of vegetation. The Amur tiger mainly lives in cedar forests and oak thickets; sometimes it chooses forests near the floodplains of lowland rivers or broad-leaved forest lands as its habitat.
The preference for some territories and the ignoring of others is determined by the number and presence of the main prey. For their movements, predators use mountain gorges and river valleys, where the highest concentration of ungulates is observed.
Appearance
In life and in photos, the Amur tiger looks like a real giant, inspiring a feeling of fear, admiration and respect at the same time. The massive and heavy build gives the impression of the clumsiness of a predator. But this is not true at all. Its body is elongated, has an aerodynamic profile and is quite flexible.
- The average weight of an Amur tiger is 180 - 200 kg, females weigh about 160 kg. Adult males sometimes grow to enormous sizes and gain weight from 220 to 320 kg.
- In males, the length of the body along the curves reaches 280 cm, in females this figure is in the range of 180 - 200 cm. The height of the animals at the withers is 115 cm.
- The predator has a large and massive head, well-developed jaws, and sharp fangs up to 8 cm in length. On the sides of the muzzle there are elongated sideburns, and on the neck there is a small mane.
- The eyes are deep-set, yellow-green in color, with round pupils, very small.
- The whiskers are long and elastic, helping the predator navigate in the dark, determine the direction of the wind, the nature and temperature of the surface.
- The ears are relatively small, have a white edge on the inside, and are painted black at the back.
- The tail is wide at the base, narrow at the very end. The length of the tail is 75 - 100 cm. By its position one can judge the mood of the animal. When he is in calm state, the tail is lowered, its end is smoothly curved upward. Rhythmic movements made by the tail in different sides, they speak of the owner’s bad mood and do not promise anything good.
- The forelimbs of the predator are wider and heavier than the hind limbs. The claws on the paws are retractable.
- Long and thick hair and a thick layer of fat on the belly (up to 5 cm thick) protect the animal from low temperatures and allow it to sleep in the snow.
The description of the Amur tiger in summer differs from its description in winter:
- Summer fur has a brighter and richer base color, with reddish-red shades predominating. The length of the pile on the back does not exceed 2 cm, on the belly 3 cm, on the top of the neck 3.5 - 5 cm.
- The way the Amur tiger looks in winter gives it a particularly chic and noble appearance. The winter skin is fluffier and thicker, has a light palette, consisting of ocher-yellow shades. Elongated sideburns are clearly visible on the tigers' muzzle; males boast a luxurious mane. The pile on the stomach and chest reaches a length of 6 to 10 cm, on the back and tail up to 5 cm, along the top of the neck it lengthens to 7 -11 cm. The belly, the area near the eyes, the inner surface of the paws are colored in White color. The pattern on the fur consists of stripes of different widths and lengths, individual for each individual. The stripes are not often located, they are fewer in number than in other subspecies. They are usually narrow and long, often double or forked at the very ends. Often there are lentil-shaped stripes with a sharp end. The stripes on the back are black, at the base of the tail, on the sides, and on the paws they have a brown tint. The tail is decorated with double dark rings and ends with a black spot. The pattern on the coat is more visible on summer fur.
Features of behavior
An adult Amur tiger lives in a separate area, within the boundaries of which it indicates its presence with marks - by spraying urine, notching on fallen tree trunks, loosening the soil or snow. Males lead a solitary existence, females need to take care of their offspring.
Amur tigers have the most impressive hunting grounds, which is explained by the very small amount of main prey. The average home range size of an adult tiger is 1000 km2, with females occupying areas of up to 400 km2.
The animal runs fast, swims well, climbs trees well at a young age, distinguishes colors, sees five times at night better than man. He easily covers up to 20 km per day, jumps 10 meters in length, 4 - 5 meters in height, develops maximum speed up to 18 - 20 meters per second. The predator is predictable, almost always wanders along already trodden roads.
Despite the well-developed sense of smell, hearing and vision and immeasurable strength, hunting takes a lot of energy and time from the Amur tiger. Out of ten attempts to defeat the victim, only one succeeds. The animal approaches the intended target by crawling, resting its hind limbs on the ground and arching its back, overtaking it with a lightning-fast jump. Large game is knocked down and its neck is broken.
Eats lying down, holding the trophy with its paws. He hides the remains of the feast in a secluded place and returns to them for several days in a row. To maintain normal shape, a tiger needs to eat at least 10 kg of meat food per day. The annual diet consists of 50 - 70 large animals.
Nutrition
The animal is able to quickly reorient itself from one type of food to another. The main place in the diet is occupied by ungulate mammals. The size of the prey often exceeds the size of the predator. Potential victims could be red and sika deer, wild boar, roe deer, and bear. The list of what the Amur tiger eats also includes plant fruits, reptiles, rodents, birds, and fish. Late spring and in summer the predator hunts Ussuri raccoons and common badgers.
Relationships with people
The Far Eastern subspecies avoids direct contact with humans and shows aggression only in special situations. More than half of the animals seen in attacks were previously wounded by humans or were persecuted; a fifth of the animals were exhausted or weakened. Between 2000 and 2010, 19 episodes of tiger attacks on humans were recorded in the Russian Federation, two of which were fatal. Every year, isolated cases of animal attacks on livestock and dogs are recorded.
Reproduction and care of offspring
A female can give birth to offspring at any time of the year, but most often this happens in the summer. When conditions are favorable for mating, she often has to go in search of a male herself. The animal deliberately leaves notches on trees and urine marks. If the search is successful, the predators stay together for several days and mate repeatedly. With the onset of pregnancy, the period of romantic relationships ends, and the father goes in search of new adventures.
Pregnancy lasts three and a half to four months. The tigress chooses a place for her brood shelter. Usually it rises to the upper third of the slopes and settles in rocky areas. A classic litter consists of three cubs. Babies are born blind and open their eyes in the second week of life. The mother feeds the cubs with milk for up to six months.
Preparing for adult life takes a long period of time. Young tigers live with their mother for the first years. The family group breaks up when the cubs reach two years of age.
In the wild, animals live up to 15 years, in zoos - up to 20 years.
Population status
The number of Amur tigers living in natural conditions is one of the lowest in the population. If in the second half of the 19th century the animal was quite often found in nature and even had commercial significance, then already at the beginning of the 20th century, reports of the Amur tiger became quite rare.
By the mid-forties of the last century, the subspecies was in danger of complete extinction; its number was no more than 40 individuals.
After the introduction of a widespread ban on the shooting of animals (decree of 1947), the situation improved somewhat. By 1996, the number of animals increased to 450 individuals; in 2005, there were already 502 individuals. In the population structure of the subspecies, 28% were occupied by tiger cubs and young predators up to three years old, a quarter of the population was represented by adult males, 39% of all individuals were females, 7% of predators could not be classified into any of these groups.
The 2015 census brings a certain amount of optimism to future fate subspecies, because the population of Amur tigers is slowly but surely increasing. The number of predators, according to scientists, is approaching 540 individuals. Of these, from 5 to 10% live in China, the remaining 90 - 95% are concentrated along the banks of the Amur and Ussuri rivers, near the Sikhote-Alin mountain ranges. There are over 450 Amur tigers in captivity.
Security measures
According to sad statistics, only in 17 - 28% of cases a predator dies from natural causes. The remaining tiger deaths occur as a result of poaching. Animal organs are used in oriental medicine; the wealthy population seeks to purchase an exotic animal to keep in a private zoo. The price of the Amur tiger on illegal markets often reaches prohibitive figures. The exact number of predators who have fallen victim to human greed, cruelty and stupidity is not known.
The decline in the population is facilitated by uncontrolled deforestation, expansion of the road network, industrial development of territories, and displacement of the predator from its usual habitat. A significant role is played by a decrease in the food supply and an increase in the number of food competitors.
The Amur tiger is listed in the Red Book and is under state protection. Russian scientists have developed a long-term program for the conservation of the subspecies. The main action plan includes the protection of Amur tigers from poachers, increased responsibility for illegal hunting, and the use of animal skins and organs for commercial purposes. A special set of measures is aimed at preserving the habitats and food supply of the predator, introducing latest technologies into the population monitoring system.
Rare and endangered animals are the Amur tiger and live on the territory of the Ussuriysky Nature Reserve and the Land of the Leopard National Park. Employees of protected zones maintain the food supply of animals, protect taiga lands from forest fires and poachers, use special equipment to constantly monitor animals, register Interesting Facts and events in their lives, monitor their health.