The Amur tiger is one of the rarest species of predators. Back in the 19th century there were quite a lot of them. However, due to poachers in the 30s of the twentieth century, the species was on the verge of extinction. At that time in the territory Soviet Union only 50 left.

During the expedition of 2008-2009, a special expedition "Amur Tiger" took place. So, it was found that there were only 6 tigers within the boundaries of the Ussuriysky Reserve.

Description of the species

The Amur tiger belongs to the class of mammals. In fact, it is one of the largest representatives of predators on the planet, because its mass can reach up to 300 kilograms. Moreover, according to some reports, during the period of their large population there were animals of this species that weighed almost 400 kg. It goes without saying that these are no longer to be found.

The physical capabilities of this type of predator are also impressive - a tiger can easily carry prey weighing half a ton on itself. The speed of movement can reach up to 80 km / h, and in this indicator it is second only to the cheetah.

It should also be noted appearance this animal. Like other predators of this class, it has a color in the form of a red background and white transverse stripes. It should be noted that in this case, this color also plays a camouflage role - in order to get prey, the tiger needs to get extremely close to it, and this color helps in this, since it simply merges with dry vegetation.

Tiger food

The predator eats only meat and most often it is prey of a fairly large size. In general, the Amur tiger spends most of its time searching for prey. Wild boars, red deer, deer are the main diet of the predator. For proper nutrition, they need about 50 ungulates per year. However, if the animal lacks large prey, then it does not disdain small ones - livestock, badgers, hares, and so on. At one time, a tiger can eat about 30 kilograms of meat, but the average portion is 10 kilograms.

Lifestyle

No matter how formidable this animal is, nevertheless, the habits that are inherent in all cats cannot be taken away from it. The tiger prefers loneliness - he enters the pack, he also goes to prey alone. The Amur tiger leaves its territory only if it is necessary to catch large prey. Also on its territory, the predator leaves special marks:

• peels off the bark on trees;
• leaves scratches;
• splashes of urine on vegetation or stones.

The male defends his territory quite harshly - the tiger simply tries to destroy the uninvited guests, but he tries to eliminate the conflict with representatives of his own species through a formidable roar. A fight for the Amur tiger is an extreme measure. Moreover, for several years he can live in complete silence.

Individuals breed twice a year. The tiger is by nature a polygamous animal, so it can keep several females on its territory at once. If another tiger claims them, then even a fight is possible.

Place of residence

This species of predator lives in the southeastern territory of Russia, the banks of the Amur River, in Manchuria and even in the territory of the DPRK. The largest number tigers resides at this moment in the region of the Lazovsky district, which is in the Primorsky Territory.

A comfortable habitat for a tiger is a river highland with trees such as oak and cedar. An adult tiger can live on an area of ​​up to 2,000 square kilometers without any problems and with maximum comfort. The female can single-handedly inhabit areas up to 450 square kilometers.

Reasons for the disappearance

Of course, the main reason why the number of the Amur tiger has practically vanished is their moderate extermination by poachers. Tigers were killed up to a hundred a year, just to get a skin.

However, scientists who have studied this question, found out that the reason for the disappearance is not only mass shooting. The reasons for the disappearance could also be the following:

• critically insufficient number of food objects;
• intentional destruction of bushes and trees inhabited by Amur tigers.

It goes without saying that these two factors did not arise without human help.

What is happening with the Amur tigers now

Now this species of predators is listed in the Red Book as such, which is on the verge of extinction. Adults and calves are under strict protection in the protected areas. However, according to observations, it was found that the protected area may not be enough for them and they go beyond its limits, which is extremely dangerous.

Unfortunately, this is far from the only species of animals that have practically disappeared from the planet just because a person made his efforts. In this case, mass shooting because of the desire to cash in led to such extremely negative consequences.

Specialists in this field are making every effort to ensure that the population of the Amur tiger has increased. However, it is quite difficult for this predator to breed in captivity, so mass attempts do not always lead to success.

Ussuri, Far Eastern, Amur - all these definitions refer to a subspecies of one tiger that lives on the territory of Primorsky Krai.

This large representative of the cat family has overtaken the lion in size, and sometimes weighs more than 200 kg. Such a mass and size do not prevent the tiger from moving silently in the taiga, sometimes reaching speeds of up to 50 km / h, since it has soft and wide fur pads on its paws that do not allow it to fall into a snowdrift.

A thick layer of fat placed on the stomach also helps to survive in the winter in the taiga, which saves from the cold and piercing wind.

The Amur tiger loves loneliness, which is different from most cats; the tiger closely monitors its territory and is ready to defend it at any moment. I note that sometimes the property area exceeds 500 km2. sq., the tiger marks the boundaries of possessions, scratching tree trunks. The Ussuri not only controls its own territory, but also closely monitors the marks of other animals.

Two individuals of different sexes converge only for the purpose of procreation. The "honeymoon" in these animals lasts from 5 to 7 days, after which the male leaves the female.

Tigers have special greeting sounds that are produced when the animal vigorously inhales air through the mouth and nose at the same time. Another way to show friendliness may be to touch the head, muzzle or sides of another animal.

Amur tiger cubs.

The Amur tiger is one of the animals that are listed in the Red Book of Russia, since today there are only 450 representatives of this species left. But this does not stop the hunters of Russia. Perhaps we need to follow the example of China and introduce the death penalty for killing these animals so that people finally begin to think about nature.

Video: Ussuri tiger: dangers and realities. Yuri Darman, director of the Amur branch of WWF Russia, tells.