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s A tigER CUb StiCkS
In the far eastern reaches of Russia, WitH MUM fOR At
LEASt 18 MONtHS.
winter temperatures can drop to minus
40 degrees Celsius.
Thick fur insulates their bodies as they
sleep in the snow. In summer their coats
cloak the cats against the forest,
making them nearly impossible to see.
One wild boar is a small meal for three
tigers. A single tiger can eat up to Many Amur tigers
40 kilograms of meat in one meal. have beachfront
By morning, the three are on the prowl property they live
again. Even though tigers are well adapted in Russian forests
as the top predators in this cold climate, on the edge of the
each day brings new threats. The greatest Sea of Japan.
danger isnt other tigers competing
against them, but people. Even skilled
tigers can have bad luck and scientists are
trying to keep the odds in favour of
the animals.
Hunger games
In the snowy, forested arena, finding food
is a big part of survival. But thats not
all. Well-hidden snares or trucks speeding
along logging roads kill many tigers each
year, not to mention armed deer
hunters who come across tigers. In Russia,
very few tigers die of old age, says Dale
Miquelle, an Amur tiger researcher with
the Wildlife Conservation Society. Most
die at the hands of poachers. The tiger
trio is among about 400 Amur tigers that
researchers think are left in the wild.
The range of tigers in Russia is about
the size of the Eastern Cape and in the
southeastern part of the country. As
recently as 50 years ago there were plenty
of deer and wild boar, the tiger s favourite
food. Prey is harder to find these days.
People hunt them, while
logging companies and fires destroy the
forest where they live. Some tiger habitat
is protected, but the cats wander beyond
these safe zones in search of prey.

tHiS tigER S SCRAtCHES
ON tREES ARE MESSAgES
tO OtHER tigERS.

HOW YOU CAN HELP Tigers, leopards, lions and other big cats
need protection. Learn more about National Geographic s Big Cats Initiative
online at kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/big-cats or ngbigcats.org.

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