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ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - Printable Version

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RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - peter - 02-28-2017

(02-26-2017, 05:44 PM)phatio Wrote:
(02-25-2017, 01:47 PM)peter Wrote: Returning to the article. The one who posted it has to find the complete article. We would also like to know the name of the newspaper. And the date of publication. Things like that. This will allow me to go to a museum over here and find it.   
 
Thank you for the translation @peter. never seen that male javan tiger shot by Mr. Ledeboer before. for your information Glenmore is located in Banyuwangi, the most eastern part of Java island. Meru Betiri National Park is also located in this small city.
after doing a quick research i found the picture coming from a facebook community called Banjoewangi Tempoe Doloe (old time Banyuwangi) and according to them, the article is from an old Dutch newspaper 'de Indische Courant' Februari 16 1940. maybe you can find the original archive there in your country? 

and here is  Mr. Ledeboer with another tiger (i think it's a female javan tiger). 

*This image is copyright of its original author

maybe anyone could do the estimation of her measurement?

Thanks a lot for the info, Phatio. The newspaper you mentioned rings a bell. I also remember a magazin for hunters called 'The Indische Jager'. I will try to find both.

The tigress seems to be adult and wasn't a small animal. There are two ways to get to an estimate. One is using the man at the far right (because I can see most of his legs) and two is using the skull of the tigress (more difficult).

a - The man at the far right might have been 15 units tall when standing. With her head in a normal position, the tigress is at least 22 units. If the man at the far right was 165 cm. (165:15=11), the tigress was 22x11=242 cm. If he was 160 cm. (160:15=10,666), the tigress was 234,66 cm. (22x10,666=234,666). If he was 155 cm. (155:15=10,333), the tigress would have measured 227,33 cm. (22x10,333=227,33). Using this method, the result is 227-242 cm. in a straight line. 

The outcome depends on the length of the man. Indonesian men over 50 years of age averaged about 158 cm. in 1997. My guess is the average in 1940 could have been about 155 cm. This means that the lower limit mentioned could be more probable, but you never know.   

b - If we use the skull of the tigress, the outcome depends on the length of the skull. Assuming the skull, like the tigress, was just over average in length, it might have measured not 278 mm. in greatest total length, but 285-290 mm. 

As for head length. In an adult captive male Amur tiger from the Prague Zoo, the skull was just over 370 mm. in greatest total length. The head length was 450 mm. The difference between greatest skull length and head length, therefore, was about 80 mm. Skulls of male Amur tigers are about 20% longer than skulls of females. In Java tigers, the difference is less pronounced (about 15%). Using this information, the head length of the tigress might have ranged between 335-345 mm. Assuming the head was 3-3,5 units and the total length was 22 units, the result is 210-253 cm. in total length in a straight line. As she seemed to be a little over average in most respects, I'd say the result of this method roughly compares to the result of the first method (227-242 cm.). 

If she would have been measured 'over curves' (most tigers in Indonesia were measured in this way), we have to add about 3 inches (7,62 cm.), maybe a tad more. This means she would have taped 234-251 cm. roughly.

c - For now, I'd say the tigress was 227-242 cm. (about 7.5-7.11) in total length in a straight line or 234-251 cm. 'over curves' (about 7.8-8.3). This estimate is based on the assumed length of the man at the far right in the photograph apparently taken in 1940. As we have no option but to use the average length of Indonesian men in 1940 (most probably less than in 1997, when men of 50 years and over averaged 158 cm.), the lower limit mentioned (227 cm. in total length in a straight line) seems more probable.

Based on other photographs of Javan tigers, I think she could have been a bit longer (230-236 cm.). This opinion is also based on photographs of two young adult tigresses shot and measured by Locke in Trengganu (Malaysia).

In weight, she could have ranged between 80-90 kg. (177-199 pounds).


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - phatio - 02-28-2017

many thank for your effort @peter .
I know it's so hard to get one real measurement even from the extant living tiger like bengal or siberian, let alone from the already extinct tiger like java, bali or caspian. since we don't have a time machine, an estimation would do just fine for me, especially from you. (seriously, if i have a time machine, i'd like to go back to early years of the last century to photograph caspian, javan, bali tigers and barbary lion Lol ). 

i hope more old pictures like this will come up. every single picture of them is precious to us, who never had a chance to meet them since we were born.


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - Greatearth - 03-01-2017

"GrizzlyClaws" 
I don't know about that. even if tigers were introduced, evolution does not occur fast for larger mammalian carnivores. Probably takes more than 4th or 5th generations for the tigers to evolve.

"Sanjay"  I sent you message.


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - peter - 03-01-2017

1 - TIGRESS OF UNKNOWN LENGTH SHOT BY LEDEBOER IN JAVA IN 1940:


*This image is copyright of its original author
 

2 - TWO YOUNG ADULT TIGRESSES SHOT AND MEASURED BY LOCKE IN TRENGGANU, MALAYSIA IN 1950:


*This image is copyright of its original author


These two tigresses, twins, had left their mother about 6 months before they were shot. This means they were not quite full-grown. Although both had a territory, they hunted together at times. As cattle often was included, Locke shot both. In total length measured in a straight line, they taped 7.3 (220.98 cm.) and 7.4 (223,52 cm.). Another youngish tigress shot in Trengganu in 1949 was 7.5 (226,06 cm.).  

3 - HOW DID THE TIGRESS FROM JAVA COMPARE TO THE TWINS SHOT IN TRENGGANU?

My take is the tigress shot by Ledeboer in Java in 1940 is a few inches than the Trengganu twins, but that is just a guesstimate. We need a bit more accuracy. In order to get there, the photographs need to be adjusted. 

I know the angles are not helping, but we might give it a try. We could perhaps use the rifles. The one used by Ledeboer is an old one, but Locke had a modern rifle.


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - peter - 03-01-2017

(03-01-2017, 01:44 PM)시베리아호랑이 Wrote: "GrizzlyClaws" 
I don't know about that. First, there are so many people in Korea and land is so small for the tiger. I don't see how tiger would survive there if you are talking about the South Korea. I am pretty sure leopard would survive. And even if tigers were introduced, evolution does not occur fast for larger mammalian carnivores. Probably takes more than 4th or 5th generations for the tigers to evolve.
Sadly, there's so many people in this world. If you actually study the conservation, the human population growth is devastating the nature and wildlife. There's not many forest left for large animals can survive in Asia and Central America. Africa and South America are becoming the same problems. Human population growth, poverty, government corruption, religious problems like Islam and Christianity, ...etc are already created too much problems.

Fortunately, the population in Korea is going down. So does Japan, China, Taiwan, and majority European countries. But South East Asia(India to South East Asia), Central America, Africa, and Middle East are facing with huge human population growth.

"Sanjay"  I sent you message. 

"Peter"

No problem. I actually have more and better photos of the Siberian tiger in Korea, Russian Far East, and Manchuria. Better quality photos than you have posted in here. It's better to know the languages(past and current tiger countries) if you want to know the past description and find old photos from my experience. I still have a problem with finding photos from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and majority Central Asian countries. However, I did find decent amount of old photos of the tigers from Korea, Russia, China, and previous Soviet Union countries. Trying to find description of tigers in those countries too

We're very interested in the photographs you have, K2.


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - sanjay - 03-01-2017

@Greatearth (시베리아호랑이  or K2 ), your username has been changed


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - Betty - 03-01-2017

Hunting Caspian tiger, in the Kazakhstan area.

http://maxpark.com/community/228/content/3404333



*This image is copyright of its original author



RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - Roflcopters - 03-04-2017


*This image is copyright of its original author




Underlining the importance of developing habitats for tigers outside protected areas like sanctuaries, a forested patch near Nagpur has emerged as a source from where tiger reserves can add to their population of the big cats.
In 2011, a pregnant tigress was rescued from a well in the Kondhali-Kalmeshwar block near Nagpur. She, however, aborted her litter. The forest department decided to release the tigress in the area and develop it as a habitat, through interventions like grassland and watershed development. This helped create a prey base by attracting herbivores like chital and sambar.
Spread over an area of around 180 sq km in the Nagpur territorial forest division, the block contains a mix of jungles, factories, including those manufacturing explosives, human settlements and farms. Traditionally, wildlife conservation has less importance in territorial regions compared to protected areas.
The tigress, named ‘Katlabodi’ after the location where she was found, has emerged as the matriarch after giving birth to three litters of nine cubs, which are now populating the habitat and even protected areas like the Bor tiger reserve, located around 10 km away. Conventionally, protected areas serve as a source of tiger population for non-protected areas.
Nawab (in pic), part of Katlabodi’s second litter from a male, ‘Bajirao’ from Bor, was sighted at Pohra-Malkhed near Amravati and may be migrating to the Melghat tiger reserve or Satpuda tiger reserve (Madhya Pradesh). A female from her first litter has also migrated towards Melghat.
“Better protection has yielded results despite it not being a sanctuary,” said Kundan Hate, honorary wildlife warden, Nagpur.
The forest is covered by camera traps and monitored continuously. “Man-animal conflict is nil despite the presence of five adult tigers and six cubs in the landscape. The increase in numbers of herbivores like chital, sambar and nilgai have also not led to complaints from farmers about crop depredation. We have maintained the ecological balance,” Hate noted.
G Mallikarjuna, Deputy Conservator of Forests, said the area was emerging as a population source for protected areas like Bor. “Kalmeshwar falls on the corridor between the Melghat and Pench tiger reserves,” he explained.
Researcher Dhanusha Kawalkar, an MSC (wildlife conservation action) student at the Bharti Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research, Pune, noted that the landscape faces threats like the presence of National Highway-6, which fragments it, and illegal sand mining. Moreover, the testing conducted in the nearby explosive manufacturing companies causes tremors.
EARNING STRIPES
First litter: Two females (one is in Kondhali and the other has migrated towards Melghat), one male (Naseeb, or BTRT2, who is in the Bor tiger reserve).
Second litter: Two females (they share their mother’s habitat), one male (Nawab, or T4, who has migrated towards Amravati).
Third litter: One male, two females (around five months old).


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - epaiva - 03-08-2017

(09-16-2014, 07:46 AM)peter Wrote:
Pckts\ dateline='\'1410803718' Wrote: Very impressive to see that Bears made up 31% of a tigers diet. But I notice that tigers may be forced to hunt them more due to the lack of wild boars and once wild boars were abdundent, bears where not targeted as much. I wonder if over hunting of hooved animals will/has caused tigers to hunt bears more and more.
Very interesting read, tfs.

 

Not quite. Availability, of course, has something to do with it, but the real reason could be natural balance. If a predator selects different animals in different seasons, prey animals have a chance to recover. This will result in more balance and more balance is a better future.

In the region studied, tigers hunt bears in every season. When wild boars and red deer are available, tigers hunt them more often than bears, but that doesn't mean black bears are not hunted at all.

We have to remember Tkachenko's results relate to 3 adult tigers (two males and one female) in one region only. In other regions, bears are not hunted at all. Another conclusion is bears are not only hunted by male tigers.

It is not known why some tigers hunt bears and others do not. Russia has a limited number of herbivores and quite many bears. Tkachenko concluded black bears do not fear tigers. Many visit tiger kills when possible. Any tiger even remotely interested in bears would get a chance to test bears at some time. Maybe those not hunting bears had a bad experience and maybe those interested had a different experience.  

Some years ago, I read everything available on bears and tigers. I concluded bears and tigers most often meet near kill-sites. At times, there are encounters, but in most cases the animals radiated. When fights erupted, most had a tragic outcome. Tigers won most fights, but bears didn't do that bad.

Anything known on these fights? Not much. The researchers often were unable to conclude anything on sex, age and subspecies. What is known, however, suggests adult animals perished in fights as well.

Anything known on adult males? A bit. There was a long and interesting debate in a thread on bears and tigers in AVA some years ago. Krechmar, a renowned Russian biologist and hunter, featured in quite many posts. When asked about fights between males, he said not one dominated the other in a fysical fight. When average weights for both are included (male brown bears average 250-270 kg. and male tigers between 170-212 kg.), one could say male tigers do quite nice. Winner on points, perhaps? 

Not quite. Some male brown bears easily exceed 300 kg. and one would think they would be able to take any tiger kill. Krechmar confirmed and so did Sludskij and Sysoev. As they don't come more experienced, the conclusion has to be big male brown bears get it their way. The Russian biologists, therefore, concluded there is a winner on points. And he has no stripes.

Could have been different in the recent past, tiger posters think. A century ago, some tigers also reached 250-275 kg. or even more. They have a point, although exceptions are different from general rules. In 1943, an exception was photographed near the remains of a big male brown bear he had killed and eaten. This incident, however, wasn't accepted by researchers. No passport, no case and case closed, they concluded.

Today's tigers seem a bit smaller, but Krechmar thinks Russia still has wild large Amur tigers. He saw prints of extra-large tigers and as he has personal experience we have to assume he is right. In an indirect way, he was supported by the two male tigers who destroyed the much critisized Aldrich-snare. Both were large. Maybe larger than 'Luke', who leads the table for now. Luke, although heavy at 212 kg., wasn't impressive in lineair measurements (183 cm. in head and body straight).  

And my stand?

The more I read, the more I'm convinced things are not that different from a century ago. It depends on the circumstances and these seem to improve in both Russia and China. Modern wild males range between 360-470 pounds, but maybe large males are able to destroy the Aldrich-snare.

If Amur tigers would compare to Indian tigers, the heaviest wild Amur tiger could exceed an average male by 35-50%. This would result in 480-700 pounds. In theory, of course.

The heaviest males actually weighed (and accepted) ranged between 550-560 pounds. The giant shot in 1943, at about 650 pounds, was heavier and (at 11.6 feet 'over curves') longer, but he had just finished a large bear when he was shot. If we include captive Amur tigers (those in the overweight department excluded), one would expect to find a freak of 650 pounds or even a bit more once in a generation. But 430 pounds apparently is just about enough to prevent getting robbed by an average male Amur bear.

We could conclude any statement on tigers and bears depends on the angle and be right. We could also say not enough is known. There are not enough data. Unclear, I concluded.

@peter 

Thanks a lot for your good  information


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - peter - 03-09-2017

Welcome to the forum, Epaiva.

I read most of your contributions and concluded they had a lot of original info. This is what we need. Many thanks on behalf of all. 

I hope that you can inform us on the situation in South America in general and Venezuela in particular. Today, I read that they adopted a new method to protect the forest in Brazil. Maybe you can find out a bit more. If so, a post in the conservation section of the forum would be much appreciated.     

I noticed your interest in bones, skulls and teeth. This is the department of Grizzly and Tigerluver. I will respond to some of the issues you raised when I have time. At the moment, I'm preparing a number of tables on skulls.     

As to tigers and bears in the Russian far East. After the post you referred to, new documents were published and discussed in more recent posts in this thread. Will get back to you on that one when you read them.


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - epaiva - 03-09-2017

(03-09-2017, 04:23 AM)peter Wrote: Welcome to the forum, Epaiva.

I read most of your contributions and concluded they had a lot of original info. This is what we need. Many thanks on behalf of all. 

I hope that you can inform us on the situation in South America in general and Venezuela in particular. Today, I read that they adopted a new method to protect the forest in Brazil. Maybe you can find out a bit more. If so, a post in the conservation section of the forum would be much appreciated.     

I noticed your interest in bones, skulls and teeth. This is the department of Grizzly and Tigerluver. I will respond to some of the issues you raised when I have time. At the moment, I'm preparing a number of tables on skulls.     

As to tigers and bears in the Russian far East. After the post you referred to, new documents were published and discussed in more recent posts in this thread. Will get back to you on that one when you read them.
@peter
Thanks a lot  I like a lot what you do in the forum very interesting and very good information I was looking for a long time of Tigers and bears in the Russian Far East and I saw measurements of Skulls and fangs too. I will be waiting for your new information of skulls.


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - epaiva - 03-09-2017

(03-09-2017, 04:23 AM)peter Wrote: Welcome to the forum, Epaiva.

I read most of your contributions and concluded they had a lot of original info. This is what we need. Many thanks on behalf of all. 

I hope that you can inform us on the situation in South America in general and Venezuela in particular. Today, I read that they adopted a new method to protect the forest in Brazil. Maybe you can find out a bit more. If so, a post in the conservation section of the forum would be much appreciated.     

I noticed your interest in bones, skulls and teeth. This is the department of Grizzly and Tigerluver. I will respond to some of the issues you raised when I have time. At the moment, I'm preparing a number of tables on skulls.     

As to tigers and bears in the Russian far East. After the post you referred to, new documents were published and discussed in more recent posts in this thread. Will get back to you on that one when you read them.
@peter
Thanks a lot  I like a lot what you do in the forum very interesting and very good information I was looking for a long time of Tigers and bears in the Russian Far East,  I saw measurements of Skulls and fangs too. I will be waiting for your new information of skulls.


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - peter - 03-09-2017

PANTHERA TIGRIS AMOYENSIS - A

a - A few maps   

The time has arrived for a number of posts on Panthera tigris amoyensis, also known as the South China tiger. 

Before posting the papers and articles I found, I decided for a number of maps. China, after all, is a very large country. The maps will show you that quite many tigers belonging to Panthera tigris amoyensis were not shot in the southeastern part of China.   

a1 - Northeast

This map is from the seventies of the last century. The dotted black lines in red are borders. Russia is in the north and northeast (on top), Mongolia in the center and China is south of Mongolia. 

Shady black (see, for instance, the region east of Lake Baikal and southwest of Mongolia) is used to mark elevation and green is forest. There was quite a bit of it back then.

Only a century ago, Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) ranged from the extreme south of Korea right up to Lake Baikal.

The South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) ranged from Amoy to the region northeast of Beijing (Peking).   

Caspian tigers (Panthera tigris virgata), in that region also known as Baikal or Mongolian tigers, were often seen in the extreme northwest of China and, perhaps, Mongolia (left upper side of the map):


*This image is copyright of its original author


2 - Northwest

This map shows the northwestern part of China (and Mongolia). Caspian tigers (Panthera tigris virgata) ranged from the elevated regions in the extreme northwest to the grassy plains west and northwest of Lake Balchasj (west of Dzungaria). Tigers have also been shot in Lob Nor (just southeast of Dzungaria). The region north of the Tarim Basin (Tien Sjan) was know for its tigers.

South of that Basin is Tibet. In the days of Marco Polo (13th century), the southeast part of Tibet in particular had many tigers. They most probably came from central and northern parts of China, but Indochinese tigers (Panthera tigris corbetti) might have been present as well. I remember a documentary about tigers living in the very elevated region just east of Myanmar and Thailand. In those days (a few decades ago) they thought the tigers had come from the south, using river valleys.   

Just east and north of Assam, Indian tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) also used the valleys to move into China (to the north and east). More to the south (just east of Myanmar), Panthera tigris corbetti again featured.

On the other side of China, the extreme southeast was the home of the famous cave tigers, also known as Amoy tigers (Panthera tigris amoyensis): 
 


*This image is copyright of its original author



RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - Brehm - 03-10-2017

By reading this article from the big cat news section (credits to pckts), i found this.

The first recorded case of a royal bengal tiger killing an himalayan black bear in bhutan, according to the article.

Probably only a juvenile of maximum 3 years, but still a predation on a black bear from a bengal tiger:


“It’s a confirmed kill by a royal Bengal tiger, since there are canine puncture marks on the bear’s throat and spine, as well as tiger claw marks lacerating the bears face and tiger pug marks in the area,” said Phub Tshering, the JDNP park beat officer, who discovered the carcass. He said that there were also signs of struggle between the bear and the tiger with rhododendrons bushes uprooted and claw marks on trees.

“Usually the Himalayan black bear is a powerful foe for any tiger and they avoid each other, but here the bear seems to be a juvenile at 2-3 years and hence did not have the muscle and fighting abilities it gets by the time it reaches its adult age of 5 years,” said Dr Sonam Wangyel, the chief forestry officer and wildlife biologist. He said that it was likely that the two animals met accidentally.

In a height of 4000m -where the kill occured- there shouldnt be plentiful prey variety, so could tigers entering those areas probably become more like their amur brothers behaviour wise in attacking black bears? Also the potential occurence of tigers, black bears, leopards and snow leopards together in the same places makes this a very exciting developement. Tigers and bears will surely dominate, leopards will do ok, but i hope the snow leopards find their niche as well and are able to coexist with the other predators.

Sorry if it was already posted elsewhere, in that case my post can be deleted.


RE: ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris) - Roflcopters - 03-10-2017


*This image is copyright of its original author


I'm sure most of you remember this picture from 4 years back, this is the story of 3 orphaned tiger cubs that were spotted on the road by a helicoper and later rescued by brothers Kolya and Sasha Rybins and Dr.Dale Miquelle. two males and 1 female. (Businka) female cub was first to be caught and weighed 35 pounds, died May/2013 due to Feline calicvirus disease. both the brothers were vaccinated and were successfully released back into the wild. 

here are some of the pictures of the cubs being released into the wild.


*This image is copyright of its original author


Kuzya during his release 


*This image is copyright of its original author


Kuzya's paws at the camera during his release 


*This image is copyright of its original author


Iiona on the left (another female that grew up alongside the other 3 orphaned cubs, she had a sister Svetlaya and Brother named Ustin).
Boris on the right during their release.


*This image is copyright of its original author


Boris


*This image is copyright of its original author


Iiona female during her release


*This image is copyright of its original author


Kuzya during his release

the article that was published about the release.

In our last update we described how three tigers cubs, named Ilona, Boris, and Kuzya, had been immobilized at the Alekseevka Rehabilitation Center in Primorskii Krai and sent on the long journey to the Amurskaya Oblast, a region that had not seen resident tigers for decades. The tigers were transported in custom-built trailers clear through the southern Russian Far East including the provinces of Primorskii Krai, Khabarovskii Krai,and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. Our convoy of five vehicles left Alekseevka on the afternoon of May 20th, with representatives of Inspection Tiger, Severtsov Institute, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The trip took just over 24 hours to complete, driving non-stop with drivers taking turns at the wheel in order to minimize the amount of time the tigers were confined in their cages. Finally, on May 21st, just after the odometer passed the 1,300 km mark, the convoy arrived at our destination.

the young tigers were fed and given water upon arrival. The release was overseen by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself on May 22nd,when Mr. Putin and V. Rozhnov of the Severtsov Institute pulled the rope to lift the door of the first cage. Kuzya was the first to be released, and he ran off without a moment’s hesitation, knocking over an expensive video camera that had been mounted along the exit door as he rushed out. The door to Ilona’s cage was then opened, but the wary tigress was much more cautious than Kuzya, andwas very apprehensive about emerging. Giving her time to decide, Boris’s cage was finally opened. He hesitated at first, but after assessing the situation and smacking the cage with a ringing slap, he jumped out and disappeared into the forest. Finally, Ilona left the security of her enclosure and headed off towards the two males already out in their new home.

With each tiger outfitted with a GPS collar, the specialists are able to receive hourly updates on the location of each tiger. During the first week following release, the tigers began to explore their new territory. During the first night Boris and Ilona stayed within 50 m of each other (about the same distance they had been from each other in the Alekseevka Rehab Center), and both continued to linger within two or three kilometers of the release site over the next few days. In contrast Kuzya set off to explore the greater surroundings, and was soon far to the southeast of the release site. Boris and Ilona began to separately explore their new home, and by the end of the week both were about 11 kilometers from the release site, and no longer in such close association. 

here's more of Boris being rescued as a cub





*This image is copyright of its original author


Boris being lured out by a stick


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Boris successfully caught and placed into a bag.


*This image is copyright of its original author


Boris ready for transportation


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Businka during her transit


*This image is copyright of its original author


Svetlaya female on the left and Boris doing well in the wild.