Restoration of the Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) Population in the Northwest of Its Distribution Area

The results of Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) grouping recovery in the North-West of its distribution area are presented in this article. An analysis of tiger cubs specially trained for wildlife and released includes: establishing the spatial structure, the ability to find and hunt natural prey, the reaction to anthropogenic landscapes, facilities and infrastructure, and reproductive relationships. The young released tigers adapted to the wild successfully, developed a specifically actual spatial structure, hunted for wild prey, did not initiate carnivore-human conflicts, females brought offspring repeatedly, wild born younglings dispersed in this part of the range successfully. Thus, in the northwest of the distribution area of the Amur tiger, where in the 1970’s this species was totally exterminated, its grouping has presently recovered and stabilized. The total grouping numbers currently amount to at least 20 individuals. The restoration of the Amur tiger grouping is based on the technology developed and used by the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences for orphaned tiger cub rehabilitation and training for wildlife.