The Amur tiger, also known as the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), is one of the world’s largest big cats, adapted to the forests of the Russian Far East and Northeast China. Historically, its range stretched across Siberia, the Russian Far East, Northeast China, and the Korean Peninsula. This subspecies is uniquely equipped for its northern habitat, possessing a lighter orange coat for camouflage in snowy environments and thicker, longer fur with a mane around the neck for insulation.
Current Population Status
As of 2022, approximately 756 Amur tigers, including 200 cubs, were estimated to inhabit the Russian Far East. The 2022 IUCN Red List assessment, however, estimated the population in the Russian Far East to be between 265 and 486 individuals, with a small number also ranging into China and potentially North Korea. In Northeast China, the tiger population is growing, with the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park reporting around 70 tigers in 2024, some of which have territories overlapping with Russian lands.
The bulk of the global Amur tiger population resides within the Sikhote-Alin mountain region of the Russian Far East, accounting for over 90% of the total. A smaller, isolated subpopulation of about 58 individuals, including cubs, was recorded in Southwest Primorye during the 2021-2022 census. While the population in Russia has shown an increase from the 331–393 adults and subadults estimated in 2005, the Chinese population, estimated at 18–22 in 2005, has also shown growth.
Factors Affecting Their Numbers
The Amur tiger has faced a reduction in its population and geographic range over the past century, primarily due to human activities. Poaching remains a threat, driven by demand for tiger body parts and pelts in illegal wildlife trade, particularly for use in traditional Asian medicine. Research indicates that human-caused mortality accounts for an estimated 75-85% of all Amur tiger deaths, with around 30 tigers killed annually.
Habitat loss and fragmentation also pose a challenge, stemming from logging, infrastructure development, and human encroachment. Selective logging of valuable Korean pine and other trees converts rich forest habitats into less supportive oak and birch forests, reducing the carrying capacity for prey species. The creation of logging roads further exacerbates the problem by increasing access for poachers and the frequency of forest fires, which directly reduce natural forest habitat.
Prey depletion, a direct consequence of poaching and habitat degradation, impacts the tigers’ food supply. Amur tigers rely on large ungulates such as wild boar, sika deer, and red deer for survival. Outbreaks of diseases like African swine fever have decimated wild boar populations, forcing tigers to seek alternative food sources and contributing to human-wildlife conflict.
Human-wildlife conflict has also intensified, with tigers venturing closer to human settlements due to habitat loss and reduced prey availability. This leads to incidents of tigers preying on livestock and domestic animals, prompting retaliatory killings by local communities. Such conflicts have surged in recent years, with hundreds of incidents involving attacks on dogs and livestock reported in Primorye and Khabarovsk.
Conservation Initiatives
The establishment and rigorous enforcement of protected areas, such as national parks and nature reserves, are central to these efforts. These areas provide safe havens for tigers and their prey, with a long-term vision of creating a network of connected habitats.
Anti-poaching efforts have increased through patrols, improved law enforcement, and community involvement. The Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) is utilized to enhance the effectiveness of anti-poaching units, enabling better tracking of illegal activities and more efficient deployment of resources. These measures have led to a decrease in poaching, with more illegal hunters apprehended and weapons seized.
Habitat restoration projects, including reforestation and the creation of wildlife corridors, aim to expand and connect fragmented tiger habitats. These corridors facilitate tiger dispersal and genetic exchange between populations, which is especially important for smaller, isolated groups. Efforts also focus on improving forest management to support healthy ecosystems.
Prey management programs are underway to bolster populations of wild ungulate species like deer and wild boar. This involves restricting hunting of these prey species through annual quotas based on population counts, ensuring a stable food source for tigers. Reintroducing sika deer into certain areas has also contributed to the growth of tiger populations by providing a consistent food supply.
International cooperation between Russia, China, and global conservation organizations like the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and WWF is important for Amur tiger conservation. Collaborative efforts include joint expert groups to exchange information, improve monitoring, and strengthen ecological protection in transboundary areas. Educational programs and community engagement initiatives are also implemented to foster local support for conservation.
Path to Recovery
Amur tiger conservation represents a success story, with populations rebounding from 20-30 individuals in the 1940s to over 700 in the Russian Far East by 2022. This recovery is due to dedicated conservation efforts, including the 1947 ban on tiger hunting in Russia and subsequent protection measures. The species’ conservation status has since been reclassified from Critically Endangered to Endangered, indicating progress.
Despite these gains, continued efforts are necessary for the long-term stability and expansion of the Amur tiger population. Challenges such as habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, and ongoing poaching threats persist, requiring adaptive management strategies. The long-term vision involves expanding tiger distribution by enhancing habitats for large ungulates and ensuring landscape permeability.
Restoring tiger populations in areas where they were previously absent, such as the Pri-Amur region of Russia, demonstrates the potential for further recovery. These initiatives involve careful reintroduction of orphaned cubs, with ongoing monitoring to ensure their success in the wild. Continued commitment to anti-poaching measures, habitat protection, and community engagement remains important for the future of this big cat.