Report about the jaguar in South America. Jaguar animal. Jaguar lifestyle and habitat. External signs of a leopard

The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is the largest species of tiger and one of the largest. He is able to survive at extremely low temperatures and is not afraid of the freezing north wind. It has a thicker coat than its southern counterparts, and on its belly it has a layer of fat five centimeters thick, which protects the beast from the cold.

The cat family has an elongated flexible body, a rounded head with very short ears, rather short legs and a long tail. Interesting features of the vision of the Amur tiger. He distinguishes colors well, unlike many other cats. And he sees better than a man, as much as five times!

The Amur tiger is able to run in the snow at speeds up to 50 kilometers per hour.

The body length of a tiger is from 2.7-3.8 meters, weight is from 160 to 270 kilograms. Body color is orange, with a white belly. Amur tigers are somewhat lighter than other species. Their life expectancy is about 15 years.

Males usually live alone, and the "personal" territory of each of them can be up to 800 square kilometers. Females sometimes gather in groups.

Tigers can communicate with each other. They greet each other with special sounds resembling a growl. As a sign of friendliness, they can touch each other or rub their muzzles and sides.

Number and distribution

In 2012, one of the oldest predators on the planet, the 21-year-old Amur tiger Lyuty, died in the Khabarovsk Territory. Once upon a time, Russian and American doctors jointly performed a unique operation on Lyuty to restore his jaw.

In Russia, the distribution area of ​​the Amur tiger is in the Khabarovsk and Primorye Territories, along the Ussuri and Amur rivers. Most of these animals are found in the Lazovsky district of Primorsky Krai, in the foothills of the Sikhote-Alin. The total number of wild Amur tigers in Russia, according to research data from 1996, is about 415 - 176 individuals (it is not possible to say more precisely how many individuals are left in the wild). About 450 more tigers are kept in various zoos around the world. The total number of Amur tigers is declining.

When the first settlers from Russia in the middle of the 19th century came to explore new lands, which are now called Primorsky Krai, they first encountered amazing big cats, which they had only heard about in fairy tales about tropical countries. These were tigers and leopards, not afraid of either snow or frost. People, alas, perceived their amazing neighbors with hostility and began to destroy them, therefore, in the period up to the 21st century, the habitat of leopards has decreased several times.

Lazovsky Reserve

Formed in 1935.
Location - south-east of Primorye on the territory of the Lazovsky district of the region.
The area is 121 thousand hectares.
Inhabitants - more than 20 Amur tigers.

Continuation

According to scientists, by the beginning of the 2010s, the population had approached the "point of no return", when the natural restoration of numbers is almost impossible. It was even proposed to completely remove the remaining predators from nature and place them in zoos in order to try to restore the population under favorable conditions.

However, the problem was solved by creating the Leopard Land National Park and starting to protect all the main habitats of the remaining leopards. The result is already noticeable today, five years later: the number of leopards has increased from 35 to 80 individuals, 57 of which live directly on the "Land of the Leopard". Now scientists need to completely eliminate the threat of extinction of these beautiful and graceful predators from nature.

New lands for the leopard

The area of ​​habitats currently occupied by the leopard is about 4 thousand km2. For a large predator, this is very small. The range of the leopard from the east is limited by Peter the Great Bay, from the west - by border areas (with China and North Korea. - Approx. TASS). In addition to the leopard, about 30 individuals of the Amur tiger live in this territory. The population density of the leopard in this area is approaching critical. Geographical isolation does not allow increasing the area of ​​suitable habitats for the leopard, - says Vladimir Aramilev, director of the Joint Directorate of the Lazovsky Reserve and the Call of the Tiger National Park.

The fact that leopards have already completely populated the protected lands of southwestern Primorye and have begun to return to territories where they have not been seen for decades is evidenced by the data of the Land of the Leopard specialists.

We see that the population is growing. In the near future, we are waiting for an exit "to a plateau" (stabilization of the population. - Approx. TASS), as with the growth of each population. But now the number of broods and kittens in broods is increasing. Colleagues outside the national park are talking about having leopards. This suggests that there is an expansive resettlement, - says the director of the National Park "Land of the Leopard" Tatyana Baranovskaya and adds that the first, not yet verified, information about the appearance of leopards in the Ussuriysky Reserve has appeared.

Now our population is developing according to its own tactics, this population has its own problems and successes. At the moment, the danger of extinction has passed, but so far no one understands what is happening to it. That is why the question arose and arises of creating a reserve population, from the genetic material that has been preserved in zoos, because in the wild we have 80 individuals, and in zoos - more than 200, Baranovskaya notes.

Insurance for the future

The goal of the project, which is scheduled to start this year, is to create a reserve leopard population that will not be related to the existing one. This should "insure" the entire subspecies of a rare predator from extinction due to sudden diseases, natural disasters or human activities. The project assumes that special centers will be created in the Lazovsky Reserve in the east of the region, where young predators born from leopards from zoos will be prepared for life in the wild and then released into the wild.

To achieve this result, it is planned to use the genetic material of Far Eastern leopards from zoos. Several individuals of the Far Eastern leopard will be delivered from the zoos of the world for breeding in the conditions of the Primorsky Territory, - says Vladimir Aramilev.

At the same time, two options are being considered: in the first case, offspring will be received from animals brought from zoos in a special breeding center. Kittens who have not been in contact with humans since childhood will be taught life skills in the wild.

There is a second, faster way: to bring young leopards from zoos and adapt them to the conditions of Primorsky Krai. Our foreign colleagues are already working on this, but the number of zoos where you can breed and grow leopards without the presence of a person is very limited, Aramilev notes.

Primorsky specialists already have experience in preparing leopards for life in the wild.

Practically such experience already exists. The leopard Leo80M, which came to us as a teenager, was being prepared by us for release into the wild, and, if it were not for his health problems, he would have already been released into the wild,” Baranovskaya notes.

National Park "Land of the Leopard"

Founded in 2012.
Location - southwest of Primorye.
Purpose - the protection of the Far Eastern leopards.
The area is 279 thousand hectares.
The inhabitants are 57 leopards and 30 Amur tigers.

Continuation

A one-year-old male Far Eastern leopard Leo80M was found in June 2015 by border guards in the Leopard Land National Park on the border of Primorye and China. He was seriously injured when he fell into a poacher's trap, and to save the animal, his fingers on his front paw were removed. The young predator was placed in the Center for the Rehabilitation and Reintroduction of Tigers and Other Rare Animals in Primorye, where he was taught how to hunt in order to be released into the wild. However, the experts realized that if the leopard was returned to the taiga, it could die due to the fact that the skin in the places of healed wounds became thinner. Now the leopard, who was named Nikolai, lives in the nursery of the Moscow Zoo, and specialists, using his example, have developed and tested programs for the rehabilitation and return of these predators to the wild.

This experience will help Primorye specialists. A similar project is currently being implemented in the Sochi National Park and the Caucasus Reserve: here, in the breeding center, Persian leopard cubs are successfully propagated and adapted to local conditions, and the first "graduates" are already successfully developing the lands of the Caucasian Reserve.

Why Lazovsky Reserve?

In the process of preparing the project, work was carried out to assess habitats outside the southwest of Primorsky Krai. As a result of two independent analyzes, it was found that the best habitats for the leopard are in the Lazovsky Reserve and the territories adjacent to it, says Aramilev.

The Far Eastern leopard is not a new species in the conditions of central Primorye. According to experts, he lived here quite recently: rare sightings of the animal in the Lazovsky Reserve were noted until the 80s of the last century. At the same time, the leopard got along well in the same territory with the tiger and other predators. He occupied a niche of a medium-sized cat that hunted sika deer, roe deer, badgers and raccoon dogs.

Therefore, the appearance of a new species in the ecosystem will not lead to any disturbances, but, on the contrary, will return ecosystems to their original form, Aramilev believes. - In the new territory, there are much fewer threats to the leopard population than in the current range. The habitats in the proposed site are more extensive, the population density of ungulates is higher than in the southwest, and the population density of humans is lower. The reintroduction site has everything necessary for leopards to live.

The conditions of the southern Sikhote-Alin, where the Lazovsky Reserve is located, the scientist believes, can accommodate a population of 150-200 leopards. It is possible that in a few decades, representatives of the two populations of leopards, developing new lands, will meet in a natural way.

In a favorable scenario, both populations will be able to exchange individuals to improve genetic diversity, both naturally and artificially. Thus, the task of preserving the Far Eastern subspecies of the leopard on planet Earth will be solved, Aramilev notes.

Doubts and fears

Experts emphasize that the creation of a reserve leopard population is a long and difficult process, which is designed for 20–25 years. Only after this time the number of released animals can reach the planned 40-50 individuals. Preparatory work has already begun.

The Ministry of Natural Resources responded to the proposal of scientists to create a second population of the Far Eastern leopard and approved a reintroduction program. Currently, the Lazovsky Reserve, which is a structural subdivision of the Ministry of Natural Resources, is conducting preparatory work for the implementation of this project at the expense of the organization's budget. Also, financial assistance in the development of the project is provided by the World Wildlife Fund (Russia), notes Aramilev.

It is the long period during which the conditions for the implementation of the project can change significantly that causes fears among specialists today.

The creation of a reserve population in the Lazovsky Reserve is an important and necessary matter. But at the same time, we must be aware that when we work with live animals, we must be extremely careful and attentive. These are not guinea pigs, but a rare species. And if you do it, then do it well and correctly. It is impossible to drop this case halfway and say: "It didn't work out." This is a responsibility to animals, - Tatyana Baranovskaya believes.

Far Eastern leopard

The rarest subspecies of the leopard, found in the area of ​​mountain coniferous-broad-leaved and oak forests in the south-west of Primorsky Krai and the border regions of China. According to the census of 2015, about 80 of these animals remained in the wild.

Continuation

Leopard for Primorsky Krai is no longer just a rare animal that needs to be protected and protected. Thanks to the efforts of scientists and ecologists, who never tire of telling the people of Russia about the rare inhabitants of the Ussuri taiga, the rare spotted cat has become a symbol of the region along with the Amur tiger.

This is a very intelligent and plastic animal, with its own psyche and clear social perception of the surrounding world. We cannot treat them as things. And, of course, the preservation of these beautiful animals is the image of the whole country. And we can't leave the matter of preserving them halfway, - the director of "Land of the Leopard" believes.

Marina Shatilova

Scientists managed to find out how many Far Eastern leopards are left in the world. Most of these beautiful Red Book cats live in Russia. 80 leopards is not enough, but Russian conservationists are doing everything to save the population, the press service of the Land of the Leopard National Park reports.

Scientists from the Land of the Leopard National Park and Beijing Normal University jointly analyzed the photomonitoring data of the Far Eastern leopard in Russia and China and found out that there are at least 80 Far Eastern leopards in the wild.

Previously, the Russian side had information about the life of these cats only in the country (about 70 leopards), but not in China. It was difficult to understand how many rare cats migrated from one country to another, and this made the work difficult. Together with Chinese scientists who had their own archive of information from three years of observations, Russian environmentalists found that many cats did move across the border in both directions.

Recently, in the office of the Land of the Leopard National Park in Vladivostok, scientists exchanged part of the materials obtained during the monitoring. Comparison of images of leopards revealed a lot of coincidence of individuals, which indicates the active movement of predators across the border. A count of unique animals showed that the global population of the Far Eastern leopard, according to data for 2014, is at least 80 individuals.

Photo: press service of the National Park "Land of the Leopard"

Employees of Russian environmental organizations have long assumed that the number of the Far Eastern leopard may be higher due to the Chinese part of the population. However, the border area of ​​the PRC has long remained a "blank spot" for scientists. Now everything will change for the better, as the leadership of the Land of the Leopard National Park and Beijing Normal University signed a long-term cooperation agreement. First of all, the agreement between the two organizations involves the subsequent exchange of data on the number of rare cats near the border of the two countries, the press service reports. National Park "Land of the Leopard" .

This agreement is a long-awaited event for us in the relations between the two countries, - says Tatiana Baranovskaya, Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Land of the Leopard". “We are confident that it will provide an opportunity to achieve great results both in the study and conservation of the Amur leopard population.”

Of course, the fact that the global population of the Far Eastern leopard turned out to be higher is great news, says Sergey Donskoy, Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. “The appearance of the leopard in China is the result of many years of work by Russian specialists, now we hope that our Chinese colleagues will support our initiative, and with the help of two states we will be able to bring the population of the Far Eastern leopard in the wild to a stable level, protecting it from the threat of extinction.”

Also on the topic:

• · Flash mob in Moscow. The return of the Far Eastern leopard

• · In the Primorsky Territory began to count the Amur tigers and Far Eastern leopards

• The largest jaguar in the world lives in the Western Hemisphere - a dangerous, powerful beast that causes panic fear in the animals adjacent to it. This cat, one of four species of the panther genus, is not tameable. In Latin American countries where the jaguar is found, it is called "el tigre", which means tiger. The beast is happy to hunt cattle, which has incurred the hatred of farmers. Hunters shot the beast until the populations were almost completely destroyed.

  The largest jaguar caught by hunters is considered to be an impressive specimen weighing 180 kg and 190 cm long. The usual weight is 70-110 kg. Females are 20% smaller, average body weight 60-80 kg. Height at the withers 60 - 85 cm Jaguar surprisingly secretive and resourceful. He copes with any prey. Wildlife researchers unanimously argue that it is impossible to see a jaguar if he himself does not want to.

  Jaguar habitats

  A million years ago, the predator lived in vast expanses of both North and South America. In his travels, he traveled to what is now Florida and Texas. However, since the beginning of the forties of the last century, not a single jaguar was seen here in wildlife. In Central America, predatory cat populations were practically exterminated at the beginning of the 20th century.

  
  

  By nature, jaguars are great travel lovers. They came from Mexico to the United States, but farmers and hunters so actively suppressed these visits that the number of wild cats here also declined rapidly.

  The only place where the jaguar lives relatively comfortably in the wild is the pampas of South America. He also lives comfortably in the local forests. But it is not often possible to meet a predator outside the national park or nature reserves. Such an event is classified as a rare success.

  
  

  Man still destroys forests and other jaguar hunting grounds. Despite this, predator populations are distributed from central Patagonia to the northern end of South America. On the outskirts of the range, the cat is found in shrubs and semi-deserts.

  In Mexico and Central America, there is still a ruthless hunt for the jaguar. But in Brazil, in the swampy regions of the province of Mato Grosso, there is a large population of these animals. The largest jaguars in the world are also found here. In El Salvador and Uruguay, jaguars have been completely exterminated.

  Interesting features of the exterior and behavior

  The jaguar was destroyed for many years because of the luxurious fur coat. In nature, it is impossible to meet two individuals with the same color. The skin from dark red to bright yellow with dark blotches and fawn inclusions on the stomach caused the handsome men to be killed by the thousands. Neck, paws and head covered with dark specks. There are specimens with an excess of melanin, and then the color of the animal is almost black, but in bright light, the “rosettes” inherent only to it are visible.

  
  

  An animal in the prime of life sometimes reaches a height of 2 meters. People have hunted them for centuries and presumably weighed them. There is information that the weight of individual animals varies from 110 to 180 kg.

  
  

  The closest relative of the jaguar, the leopard, lives in the Old World. At the same time, the jaguar has a larger, lobed head, a strong, dense physique and powerful paws. On the skin of a "rosette" on a brown or dark yellow background, larger than that of a leopard.

  
  

  Often the thickets of the tropics are awakened by the deafening roar of a cat that went hunting. In this case, she behaves similarly to relatives - a lion, leopard or tiger. The inhabitants of these places panic, as there is no escape from this predator anywhere - neither on a tree, nor in the water.

  Jaguar hunting features

  The jaguar is a loner, lives apart from other relatives, hunts in its own territory, like all cats. The area that the animal considers its own varies from 25 to 100 km2. It depends on the configuration of the landscape and the availability of food. Interestingly, the territory has the form of a triangle. For 2-3 days, the animal hunts in one of the areas of the area, and then moves to another. Periodically visits border points - every 10-13 days.

  
  

  The predator is intolerant of other felines in its territory, but surprisingly tolerant of members of its own species. Often the ranges overlap. Jaguar hunting hours are twilight after sunset and at dawn.

  Favorite objects:

  • bakers;
  • capybara;
  • monkey;
  • turtles.

  Peccary is a type of wild boar. The capybara is the largest representative of the rodent family in the world weighing 50 kg. But the predator hunts for almost any game that is in its habitat.

  There is no escape from the claws of the jaguar, even for the caiman - the South American crocodile. Jumping off a cliff onto a reptile, the jaguar breaks its neck and tears its thick hide with its fangs. It also hunts a turtle - it jumps on it, turns it over and pulls it out of its shell with sharp claws.

  Often a cat gets out of the thickets and wanders along the sea coast in search of turtle eggs buried in the sand. Birds, snakes and rodents often get to the predator for lunch. There have been cases of jaguar attacks on the largest reptiles in the world - anacondas. In addition, the cat, like many of its relatives, imitates the voices of animals. Monkeys readily succumb to such a provocation.

  The jaguar is an excellent swimmer, excellent tree climber, actively chasing prey in the water of rivers and lakes, and also climbs to the tops of trees after them.
  

  The cat prefers to hunt in thickets. Having caught and killed the victim, she takes it to a secluded corner in order to dine without interference. In other parts of the world, felines prey on deer and other ungulates. In South America, such animals are not found, and the jaguar considers large and small cattle to be prey.

  The predator prefers to attack from an ambush, hiding in the branches of trees or in thick grass. It hides in thickets of plants along the banks of reservoirs or near the path leading to a watering hole. Jumps from the back or side, grabbing the victim by the neck. Attacking a cow or a buffalo, he tries to knock the victim down and knock him to the ground. Often because of this, the object of hunting is severely injured, breaking the vertebrae, and dies.

  
  

  The jaguar differs from other cats in that it often bites through the victim's skull with powerful fangs. The predator runs fast, but also soon gets tired. Long chases are not his hunting style. Therefore, if the victim escaped, then the jaguar does not pursue it. When hunting, the cat emits a staccato guttural growl, and at night and during the mating season, it roars deafeningly. The predator eats prey from the head, gradually moving to the middle. Having caught a large specimen, the cat remains near the killed animal, eating in two doses with a break of 10-12 hours.

  Lions, tigers and leopards sometimes become cannibals. There is no consensus among zoologists about the jaguar. However, the predator without hesitation rushes at the hunters, not making out who is in front of him - a dog or a person. The experience of centuries has taught the predator to avoid humans. But cases are noted when he broke into huts and grabbed domestic animals, children or old people as prey.

  Of the cats of the Western Hemisphere, only the puma can be compared with the jaguar, but it is smaller, lighter and has a more compact head.

  Jaguar breeding

  Jaguar breeding occurs all year round. In the wild, too, there is no order. Ready for mating, the female goes in search of love adventures to other people's hunting grounds. Often the company consists of 3-4 "cavaliers". Fights between males do not happen, the choice is made by the female.

  
  

  Having chosen a partner for herself, the lady goes to the territory of the gentleman and remains there for the duration of mating. After that, he leaves the house of the chosen one and goes home. Pregnancy lasts 100 days, plus or minus 2 days. From 1 to 4 kittens are born, already covered with a bright fur coat. Two kittens weighing 800 g appear more often. 2 weeks after birth, their eyes are cut through.

  
  

  Babies feed on their mother's milk for a year, after which they take care of themselves. The parent lives nearby and occasionally feeds the family, although the female takes care and upbringing. The ability to reproduce in young animals appears by the age of three. Young leave the den after six weeks, and leave the mother only after determining their own hunting grounds.

  Jaguar in ancient history

  Before the discovery of America by the ancient civilizations of Peru and Mexico, the jaguar was elevated to the rank of god. Peruvian sculptors of that time created stone statues in the form of a half-man, half-jaguar and worshiped them. At the same time, 2.5 thousand kilometers from these places, in Mexico, stone statues of the jaguar god also appear. This fact is the enigmatic secret of archeology, since no connection between these civilizations distant from each other has been found.

  
  

  These facts show how much the ancient peoples were interested in the jaguar and how great was the cult of the amazing cat, which became a symbol of the power of early human civilizations.

  Unfortunately, jaguar populations in the wild have suffered greatly from poaching and the thoughtless destruction of predators. The species is listed in the Red Book and is protected by states. In some countries in Latin America, shooting is allowed, and in Bolivia they even sell hunting licenses for the purpose of obtaining trophies. In order not to admire the jaguars then only in the photo, humanity is obliged to make every effort to preserve these animals.

  Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)- the largest tiger in the world. And the only one of the tigers that has mastered life in the snow. No other country in the world has such a wealth. Without exaggeration, this is one of the most advanced predators among all others. Unlike the same lion, which forms prides (families) and lives off collective hunts, the tiger is a pronounced loner, and therefore he needs the highest skill in hunting.

  The tiger crowns the top of the food pyramid of a unique ecological system called the Ussuri taiga. Therefore, the state of the tiger population is an indicator of the state of the entire Far Eastern nature.

  The Amur tiger conservation project was one of the first serious steps taken by WWF in Russia. The census data for 2004/2005 showed that, through the joint efforts of state and public environmental organizations, the number of tigers had stabilized at a level of more than 450 individuals.

  And here is the interview itself with a WWF employee(questions are divided into groups to better understand the information):

  State of the tiger population

  How does Amur tiger monitoring work? How do you distinguish one tiger from another so as not to write down one tiger twice?

  Tigers are not seen during the count. Experts consider their traces. In order to distinguish one footprint from another, a measurement system has been developed and tested in practice. So without a tape measure, the accountant is not allowed into the taiga. By correctly measuring the footprint, you can understand whether it is a male or a female or a young animal. Then the counter determines the freshness of the trail and its direction ... In a word, in order not to count the same tiger twice, you need to learn a lot. In tiger business, tracking is recognized as a science.

  Are there more tigers in India than in Russia? Why do you say that the situation with tigers in Russia is better?

  According to the most recent data (International Tiger Forum in Kathmandu, 2009), 1,400 tigers survive in India today. But at the same time, the number of tigers in India six years ago was more than twice as high! That is, the population is simply melting before our eyes. And Russia is the only country in the range of the tiger, where the number has increased significantly since the middle of the last century, and has been relatively stable for the past 10 years. At the same time, Russia "owns" today the largest tiger population in a single range (about 11% of the world population).

  How many tigers are there in the world? Where is the situation the worst, and where is the best?

  The situation with the conservation of tigers on a global scale can be described as catastrophic. Over the past 100 years, the number of this species has decreased by 25 times - from 100 thousand to 4 thousand. At the same time, the number continues to decline. So, in India, where the largest number of tigers live, their number in 1995-2005 decreased from 3.5 thousand to 1.4 thousand. In a number of regions, tigers disappeared completely - Transcaucasia (1930s), Central Asia (1960s), about. Bali and about. Java (Indonesia, 1960-1980s). Currently, tigers have survived in 14 countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, North Korea (not confirmed), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand.

  WWF has always said that tiger numbers have stabilized. But I recently read in the media that it has been declining a lot in recent years! It's true?

  Yes and no. An analysis of long-term monitoring results shows that in the last four years there has been a steady downward trend in the number of tracks found at the registration sites. WWF shares the dismay caused by these results. However, many journalists "strengthened the feed." And concrete figures appeared that did not correspond to reality. Someone wrote about the halving, and in one of the media there was a phrase “only 36 animals were found” ... Today, WWF has fully assumed the burden of financing the next monitoring. In mid-December 2009, the monitoring participants have already entered the white trail, and our experts will control the progress of field work at the registration sites.

  How many Amur tigers are left? Is it a lot or a little? How many tigers can live in Russia?

  The last frontal count of the Amur tiger took place with the participation of WWF in 2005. He showed that we have about 500 Amur tigers. This is neither much nor little. This is exactly as much as the areas of the Ussuri taiga that have not yet been cut down can contain. The plans of WWF for the next ten to twelve years are to resettle the tiger within its historical range, i.e. return to those places where he once lived, but then was exterminated. Thus, we expect that the number of tigers will grow to 750. However, this is only possible due to an intensive increase in the number of ungulates.

  The main enemy of the tiger is the poacher

  How do poachers kill a tiger? Guns or traps?

  Something we do not really want to publish on the WWF website detailed instructions on effective ways to hunt the Amur tiger. Let's just say that various traps claim much more tiger lives than attempts to find a tiger in the taiga and sneak up on him with a gun. Recently, cases of shooting at tigers gaping on the side of the road from a car window have become more frequent.

  Why do poachers need a tiger?

  Hope to sell tiger parts to Chinese smugglers. Hope to sell the tiger skin to the rich majors. But the most dangerous thing is just thoughtless shooting at a tiger you meet by chance, not “why”, but “just like that”.

  Who is now fighting poachers in the Far East?

  This is one of the most painful and acute questions! Here are simple and clear numbers for you.

  IN 2002 more than 1400 people.

  IN 2009 year, the total number of inspectors was halved, to 760 people and more than halved their funding.

  At present, the responsibility for the protection of the tiger has been transferred to the subjects of the Federation. On the territory of nature reserves and national parks, tigers are protected by their security services, in non-protected areas - by the Department for the Protection, Control and Regulation of the Use of Fauna of the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. WWF provides assistance to all these state structures.

  Is it true that in China the death penalty for killing a tiger? So no one is killing him?

  It is not that simple. Deep in China, the severity of punishment is at work. But in the border zone with Russia, the poor and hungry local Chinese population establishes tens of thousands of poaching loops. And the loop is blind. She indiscriminately strangles both the deer and the tiger.

  Who and how is helping the wounded tiger now? Who is treating him? What about orphaned tiger cubs? Can they be released later?

  The Tiger Special Inspectorate is responsible for this. Every winter five or six orphaned tiger cubs get into trouble. They are caught and transferred to the Utes Wild Animal Rehabilitation Center. This is not a government agency. It does not receive any funding for such work. Therefore, the costs of treatment and rehabilitation of tiger cubs are borne by charitable organizations. If rehabilitation is carried out according to all the rules, then the tiger can be returned to the wild. During the existence of the Tiger Special Inspectorate, two cured adult tigers and four orphaned tiger cubs raised without a mother were released into the taiga. W WF has been pushing for the creation of a STATE rehabilitation center for many years. And just recently, such a decision was finally made.

  tiger dinner

  Can a tiger fish?

  Not only fish, but also manages crayfish.

  Domestic cats eat grass, some like vegetables and fruits. You can't feed a cat alone with meat. Tell me, does the tiger eat anything else besides meat?

  The tiger knows medicinal herbs well and uses them if necessary.

  Why does the WWF say that the cedar must be saved in order to save the tiger? Does a tiger eat pine nuts?

  Cedar is the breadfruit of the Ussuri taiga. The number of wild boar directly depends on the harvest of pine nuts. And the wild boar is the basis of the tiger's food base.

  How much does a tiger eat in a year?

  According to experts, one tiger needs to eat at least fifty adult ungulates a year.

  What animals does a tiger eat?

  In fact, the tiger eats everything that is inferior to him in size. From the Manchurian hare, which is the size of a glove, to the Himalayan bear, which can be as heavy as a tiger. However, the basis of its diet is ungulates: wild boar, red deer, spotted deer and roe deer.

  Good question. It is usually asked to us by hunters. But many years of research have shown that it is the tiger that is the “softest” predator, which is simply not able to seriously reduce the number of ungulates. Where hunters are seriously undertaking to raise the number of game to a new level with the help of various biotechnical measures, the number of the tiger is also beginning to grow. However, soon the number of tigers living in this "supermarket" becomes stable, and ungulates continue to increase. But where the tiger disappeared, the wolf instantly comes. The wolf, unlike the tiger, can and can seriously undermine the number of ungulates.

  tiger and man

  Do tigers distinguish people - evil from good, poachers from forest rangers? Or maybe we all look the same to them?

  Reliable cases are known when a wounded tiger for a long time and purposefully pursued the very person who shot him. So we are not all the same for him ...

  In places where tigers live, they attack domestic animals, livestock, and even people. What is being done to protect a person from a tiger?

  Responsibility for resolving all conflict situations between a man and a tiger is assigned to the state body - the Special Inspectorate "Tiger". Initially, the beast is scared away. If this does not work, they are caught and transported to lands remote from people. Shooting is allowed only in case of immediate mortal danger to human life.

  What to do if you meet a tiger in the forest? Should I run away or, on the contrary, freeze and stand still?

  Do not run away under any circumstances. Otherwise, the tiger will react to you like your kitten to a paper wrapper on a string. It is recommended to slowly, without turning your back on the beast, clear the way for it and leave. The human voice helps a lot. But only if it is a calm and confident human voice. If there is no certainty that a pig squeal will not pour out of you, it is better not to open your mouth.

  Is it possible to tame a tiger, if you start from childhood, so that he makes friends with a person? Or is he too wild a beast that cannot be fully trusted, but only trained and kept in a cage?

  A cat - she is a cat in the taiga. After all, admit it, even your domestic cat is sure that she is the mistress of the house, and you are just in her service. What can we say about a cat weighing under two hundred kilograms? We do not recommend experimenting.

  tiger house

  WWF does not want to breed tigers in other regions of Russia - for example, in Kamchatka or in the Moscow region?

  The Amur tiger is the only tiger subspecies that has learned to live in the snow. And yet he remains a southerner - the height of the snow cover is the most important limiting factor for the tiger. The tiger is historically tied to a very specific climatic region - the south of the Far East. And any attempts to settle it, for example, in the deep snow of Kamchatka are doomed to failure. But even this is not the main thing. In the past, during the times of socialism, there were a lot of attempts to acclimatize different animals (raccoon dog in Europe, American mink in the Far East, etc.) where they never lived. Time has shown that all these experiments only harmed the local nature. Today such "improvisations" are prohibited.

  Are there any excursions to nature reserves where you can see the Amur tiger in the wild?

  To see a wild Amur tiger in the wild Ussuri taiga is a crazy luck even for those who study them from morning to evening. And the beast is extremely secretive, and the taiga is completely impenetrable. So if you're lucky, you might see it. But not a single reserve guarantees you such a meeting. In order to film a few minutes of a tiger in the Lazovsky Reserve, a Korean television company had to live in the taiga for two and a half years ...

  Do tigers only live in reserves? Can a tiger live near a city?

  Unfortunately, protected areas cover only 20% of the tiger's range. The remaining eighty percent are territories where hunting and logging are allowed. Tiger tracks are regularly found in the countryside suburbs of Vladivostok, Ussuriysk and Khabarovsk. In a word, the tiger today inhabited ALL the territory where at least some forest remained. But at the same time, according to radio tracking of tagged tigers, the competition for the right to get an "apartment" in the reserve is deadly tough.

  How much space does one tiger need?

  For a female, 20 square kilometers of deep taiga is usually enough. The male needs much more - up to 100 square kilometers. Usually, on the individual site of one male, the sites of two or three females with cubs fit. If there is a lot of food, that is, ungulates, then up to four females can live in the same territory.

  How long is a tiger's tail and other general questions about a tiger

  What is the difference between the Amur, Ussuri and Siberian tigers?

  Nothing different. The official name of our tiger is the Amur tiger. However, for foreigners, everything that lies on the eastern side of the Urals is Siberia. Therefore, in the American scientific literature, our Amur tiger is listed as the Sibirian Tiger. The term "Ussuri tiger" was introduced at their own peril by Channel 2 correspondents when they were preparing a report on Vladimir Putin's participation in a project to study Amur tigers in the Ussuri Nature Reserve. But the animal is actually the same. And he does not even suspect about this linguistic leapfrog with its name.

  What is the difference between a tiger and a leopard?

  All cats are very similar in their behavior. A tiger with a leopard is no exception. However, the leopard is more plastic, he manages to live very close to a person, never catching his eye. The tiger can't do that. For happiness, he needs a deaf, deserted taiga.

  What is the relationship between a female and a male tiger after the appearance of a cub?

  The tiger meets with the female for only two or three days. And, having done his male business, he leaves her until the moment when his children grow up and are ready to start an independent life, that is, for about two years. The father does not participate in feeding and raising offspring. So all worries about children fall on the fragile shoulders of the female.

  How long is the tail of the largest and smallest tigers?

  The largest - Amur tigers - have a tail length of up to 115 cm. The smallest - Sumatran - 60-90 cm.

  How many teeth does a tiger have?

  Like all cats in the world, the tiger has 30 teeth.

  What is the life span of a tiger?

  Under ideal zoo conditions, Amur tigers can easily live up to twenty years. In real wild taiga life, not every tiger manages to live to be ten. The life of females, as a rule, is shorter than males, because they have to spend incredible strength and vitality not on themselves, but on raising offspring.

  Is the number of stripes in a tiger the same for life or does it change with age? Do tigers in different countries differ from each other in appearance?

  The stripe pattern of a tiger not only does not change, it serves as a reliable individual sign, like human fingerprints. No two tigers have the same stripe configuration. This is the basis for the method of photoaccounts.

  The number and configuration of black stripes on the skin vary in different geographic areas and is one of the bases for distinguishing subspecies of the tiger. The number of which reaches 100.

  Our Amur tiger is distinguished by thick, long (compared to other subspecies) and fluffy fur, with a duller red background and fewer stripes than other subspecies. The Indochinese tiger, for example, has a darker overall coloration, while the Sumatran tiger is considered the brightest.

  Can tigers purr?

  In fact, science says that large cats are deprived of the ability to purr like domestic cats, that is, to vibrate both on exhalation and on inhalation. But, you will laugh, unaware of the scientific research on their hard cartilage, supposedly interfering with vibration, Amur tigers purr in a good mood.

  Can tigers climb trees?

  It is believed that adult Amur tigers are unable to climb trees. However, reliable cases are known when a tiger easily and naturally climbed onto the tops of huge fir trees or into the crowns of old oaks. If he really needs it, he can. Keep this in mind.

  Protect and love tigers and all other animals

  The material was taken from the website of the World Wildlife Fund

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