Siberian Tigers

Siberian Tigers

 

-The Siberian tiger also known as the Amur, Altaic, Korean, North Chinese or Ussuri tiger.

-Type of species: Mammal 

-One of eight different subspecies of tigers and the largest cats currently living on Earth.

-Is a subspecies of tiger which once ranged throughout Western Asia, Central Asia and eastern Russia, and as far east as Alaska during prehistoric times.

-Is the biggest of the eight recent tiger subspecies and the largest living felid, attaining 320 kg in an exceptional specimen.

^-Genetic research in 2009 revealed that the current Siberian tiger population is almost identical to the Caspian tiger, a now extinct western population once thought to have been a distinct subspecies.

 

Habitat

-There are about 330-370 adult Siberian tigers left in the wild (at early 2009).

-Its range is limited to the Amur region of Russia in the Far East (most are here), where it is now protected and China (very low population, 18-22) and possibly Korea. The region (i.e. distribution of this tiger) is shown on the map below:

-A Siberian tiger cub, a naturally very precious animal, was found trapped in a woodpile in the snowy northeast of China. This is the first time the Siberian tiger has been seen in China for 60 years according to the Times author.

-Within the regions in Russian where this tiger can be found is, for example, the area of Sikhote-Alin Zapovednik. Sikhote-Alin is a mountain range in Primorsky & Khabarovsk Krais. It is about 900 km to the NE of Vladivostok. "Zapovednik" refers to a protected area in Russia. These areas are kept wild.

-This is a picture of Central Sikhote-Alin, which is Siberian tiger habitat and a UNESCO World Heritage Site:

-The mountains of the area are densely forested with birch and conifers on higher slopes. On the lower slopes there is mixed deciduous forest. This area generally is one of the leading lumbering areas of the Russian Far East. Minerals are also mined in the area. No doubt outside the protected reserve these activities have a substantial negative impact on the Siberian tiger habitat and the tiger's survival, therefore. The human population is sparse.

-Unlike some big cats like lions, adult tigers like to live alone (except for mother tigers with cubs). This is partly because in the forest, a single tiger can sneak up and surprise its prey better than a group of tigers can.

 

Diet

-Siberian Tiger is a Carnivore.

-As these animals live in the cold climate where the winter is almost all the year round and that is why they need a lot of meat. They must eat at least 20 pounds a day to keep fit and they may eat up to 100 pounds at a time. Their strength allows them to drag prey for long distances, and if there is too much food, they hide it in secure places. They spend almost all of their time hunting. 

-The Siberian tiger's main prey was wild boar, though it occasionally fed on roe deer, red deer and domestic animals such as dogs, pigs, sheep, and cattle in winter.

A Sample of Food Chain

Sun --> Plants --> Deer --> Siberian Tiger

Why are Siberian Tigers Endangered?

 

 

-There are a lot of reasons because of which the population of these animals decreases; the main one is the fact that man influences greatly the life of the animals. 

-Poaching was unquestionably the most serious threat to the Siberian tiger's existence. All tiger sub-species have been hunted by humans since ancient times. Per to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), "tigers are poisoned, shot, trapped and snared, and the majority of these animals are sought to meet the demands of a continuing illegal wildlife trade - which includes traditional Chinese medicine." 

-China made medicinal usage of tiger bones illegal in 1993. However, tiger parts are highly valuable, their trade lucrative even today.

-Even though it is illegal to kill a tiger, wild tigers are still being poached today because their bones, whiskers and other body parts can be sold on the black market for a lot of money.

-The other vital concern for the survival of the Siberian tiger in the wild is habitat loss.

-Research has demonstrated the Siberian tigers require vast forest landscapes to survive. However logging, both legal and illegal is threatening the tigers home by fragmenting their habitat thereby isolating them from each other.

-In addition, the continuous creation of new logging roads provide poachers with access to formerly remote areas.

-So in essence, for the Siberian tiger to survive in the wild, and no longer be considered and endangered species two things must happen. First, habitat encroachment must stop and secondly, the thousands of years old tradition of using tiger parts for medicinal purposes must also end. 

Conservation Efforts

Siberian Tigers in Russia

In this century, the Siberian tigers (sometimes called the Amur, Manchurian, or Northeast China tiger), have survived four wars, two revolutions, and now an onslaught on its forests. There are three protected areas for tigers in Russia-the Sikhote-Alin (3,470 km2), Lazovsky (1,165 km2), and Kedrovaya Pad (178 km2) Reserves-inland from the Sea of Japan in the Russian Far East.

Siberian Tigers in China

Sightings of Siberian tigers in Changbaishan, near the Chinese border with North Korea, were reported in Chinese newspapers in 1990, and some are still found along the Russian border. The Cat Specialist Group suggests that there are probably fewer than 50 Siberian tigers in China.

Siberian Tigers in Zoos

The captive program for Siberian tigers is the largest and longest managed program for any of the subspecies. The Siberian tigers tiger served as one of the models for the creation of scientifically managed programs for species in captivity in zoos and aquariums worldwide. According to the 1997 International Tiger Studbook there are about 501 Siberian tigers managed in zoos. This captive population is descended from 83 wild-caught founders. For the most part, the Amur or Siberian tiger is considered secure in captivity, with a large, genetically diverse and stable population.

-ZSL's Amur tiger conservation project is focused on non-invasive population monitoring, anti-poaching efforts, and increasing education and awareness.

-This project is run by tiger biologist Linda Kerley and her husband Misha Borisenko, an expert wildlife tracker. Linda and Misha need more funds for buying camera traps and to keep the jeep running. If you would like to donate, your funds would be helping to secure a future for both Amur tigers and their smaller cousins, the Amur leopards.