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Tigress who came out of the woods to seek help can be a pet who escaped owners or was thrown out

By Svetlana Skarbo, Olga Gertcyk
27 May 2020

The rare predator was caught after weeks of wandering into a village in Russian Far East.

The rescued Amur tiger cub is 9 to 10 months old. Picture from a trail camera courtesy PRNCO 'Tiger Center'

The young Amur tigress was seen walking close to houses and resting for long hours in back yards of Gornovodnoye village in Primorsky district, and on a side of a motorway. 

The big cat showed no aggression, and no pets or livestock were missing, but the tiger’s presence around humans for nearly three weeks was unnerving for the residents and signalled serious health issues with the animal. The endangered animal was also an easy target for poachers. 

Experts from the regional Hunting Surveillance department hoped that mother tiger would appear, but after two weeks of air and land monitoring they concluded that the cub was orphaned and needed help. 

Amur tigress who came out to people to seek help might be a pet who escaped owners or was thrown out 


Amur tigress who came out to people to seek help might be a pet who escaped owners or was thrown out 


Amur tigress who came out to people to seek help might be a pet who escaped owners or was thrown out 


Amur tigress who came out to people to seek help might be a pet who escaped owners or was thrown out 
The rare predator was caught after weeks of wandering into a village in Russian Far East. Pictures: PRNCO 'Tiger Center'


The tigress was caught on 16 May and delivered to ‘Centre Tiger’ for medical  observation and temporary stay. First checkups showed that the cub had no wounds. Her complete blood count was normal, results of separate virus tests are yet to arrive. 

The cub’s weight is 54 kilogram and despite her looking quite well-fed experts believe she is quite malnourished due to issues with feeding. Her teeth hasn’t changed from milky yet and are in good condition except for two broken incisors. 

The cub’s age was identified as nine to ten months, which is half a year younger than the experts thought earlier. 

What puzzles the Centre Tiger's team is the tigress’s behaviour which continues to be nowhere near as aggressive as it should be with an Amur tiger.  

‘It’s rare to see orphaned tiger cubs in May as normally mothers don’t give up on cubs of that age. Quite likely the tigress was killed by a poacher or died from a natural cause, though it is not impossible that the cub was kept by people before it escaped or was thrown out.

'Certain strange traits in the tigress’s behaviour allow us to think that the cub could have stayed with humans’, said Sergey Aramilev, director of Amur Tiger Centre in the Far East of Russia. 

Amur tigress who came out to people to seek help might be a pet who escaped owners or was thrown out 


Amur tigress who came out to people to seek help might be a pet who escaped owners or was thrown out 


Amur tigress who came out to people to seek help might be a pet who escaped owners or was thrown out 


Amur tigress who came out to people to seek help might be a pet who escaped owners or was thrown out 


PRNCO 'Tiger Center'
The tigress spends most of her time sleeping, the rehabilitation centre team's said. Pictures: Anna Blidchenko/PRNCO 'Tiger Center'


The latest update on the tigress’s health was received on 26 May and suggests that the she is beginning to feel better. The cub still doesn’t drink water and prefers meat broth, her digestive system seems to be working fine, but her behaviour remains unusually calm. 

‘She doesn’t even attempt to get out of the enclosure and spends her days mostly sleeping’, the Centre Tiger team said. 

After the rare cat completes all medical tests, the rehabilitation centre’s team will concentrate on her re-introduction to the wild. 

It will be possible if the tigress will show that her hunting instincts are intact and that her attitude to humans is back to being a lot more cautious. 

ORPHANED AMUR TIGRESS, videos PRNCO 'Tiger Center'


The Amur tiger is the largest of the world’s big cats. About 600 grown up animals - 95% of the world population - live in Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk regions, Amur region and the Jewish Autonomous region in the Far East of Russia. 

Some Amur tigers live in China and in North Korea. 

Next tiger census in Russia will be held in winter 2021-2022. 

SUPPORT THE TEAM THAT HELPS ENDANGERED AMUR TIGERS IN RUSSIA AND SUCCESSFULLY REINTRODUCES THEM BACK TO NATURE  

Team of  PRNCO 'Tiger Center' have rehabilitated 7 tigers and 1 African lion.

Of them, 6 tigers were released into their natural habitat. Five of them became fully adapted to life in the wild.

The first female Zolushka (Cinderella), which had passed the full course of rehabilitation, was observed with two cubs in December 2015. The tigers Svetlaya (Bright) and Boris, released in 2014, formed a couple. 

The Centre was founded September 19, 2012.

Comments (135)

I am so glad that you are giving her such wonderful care. I will donate to your cause. I pray that she doesn't not become someone's trophy. It seems as if she must have been raised by humans and they just let her go . She may never have the temperament to resume life in the wild. Maybe a zoo would take her? Good luck and God bless!
Edith Baillargeon, United States
28/05/2020 09:40
7
0
If it's possible a tiger
Margaret Watson, England
28/05/2020 08:47
0
4
Thank you care takers so much for your effort to help this beautiful Animal i wish you good luck i really hope you get all the help and support you need. Thank you again from an avid anlmal lover.
Renate ,U, Chula Vista California
28/05/2020 08:34
6
0
Something happened to the mother? Must have been Carole Baskins.
Daniel Ricci, Japan
28/05/2020 08:06
6
0
Beautiful tiger.. great work and take good care of her.. I hope they last they are all so unique
Richard Stafford, Canada
28/05/2020 07:59
9
0
So happy they caught her and taking care of her. Afraid of pouches when she goes back to the wild. Can they keep track of her? She's beautiful. I despise hunters and pouches. Killing these beautiful animals for any reason. There sickening..i will pray for her.
Marie Southworh, Palm Coast, Flordia.
28/05/2020 07:56
15
4
Wow
Alicia, Detroit, USA
28/05/2020 07:49
8
1
Beautiful and obviously in need of care. Thank you for helping rehabilitate !
James Morgan, Fredericktown/ USA
28/05/2020 07:47
10
0
Yes, I agree the wonderful work you are doing to save theseGo beautiful tigers. God Bless.
Tina Sacco, United States
28/05/2020 07:43
7
0
please don't release her into the wild until you are quite sure she will be wary of people. it is likely she was raised by people and abandoned when she grew too big. if so she will continue to seek human friendship and will not last a year without being shot in that instance better to donate her to a wildlife park 53f1
Richard N Lind, United States
28/05/2020 07:35
15
0
What a magnificent animal. Its ashame that people have to poach such a beautiful and majestic creature. Glad she got the help she needs and hopefully lives a long life.
Jerry Hertz, Austin,Texas
28/05/2020 07:27
10
0
In todays world of hate and pain, comes hope and the joy that one must have to be able not only to help such beautiful creatures but to be also able to see them in person, touch them, help them. Maybe it's so peaceful because it feels secure and rescued hopefully in the release it will be able to care for itself as well.
Arthur Clyde Johnson, United States
28/05/2020 07:18
6
0
Looking to the way she moves in the woods make me think she was living in the woods not in any man made place young and smart lost felines look for help and food and are not aggressive her mother maybe ware killed for the young in some place away from her or may be there were 2. Us to have 2 Panthera onca they ran to a vehiculo looking for help and the people that bring theme to me a male and femele youngs tol me the history, non native speaker thanks, Beautiful living being, You should send her to Vladimir Putin he will know wath to do with her .
Mauricio Gomez, Bogota Colombia Sauth America .
28/05/2020 07:14
5
0
Beautiful Tiger. So glad she has been rescued. Thanks to people like you.
Kim Hawkins, USA
28/05/2020 07:11
2
1
So pleased that she found a community that helped her. That community should be very proud of themselves. Well done.
Rosemary Wiltshire, Australia
28/05/2020 06:55
5
0

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