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

[peter]

AMUR TIGERS IN NORTHEASTERN CHINA - RECENT INFORMATION - II

5 - Feng Limin: Introduction 

In the first post of this series (post 2,587), scans of different, recent, articles about the situation in northeastern China were discussed. Feng Limin featured in all of them. Although most of those interested in tigers heard about him, only few realize Feng Limin is one of the most active tiger biologists today. He published over 20 papers and currently is a member of the Feline Specialist Group (Cat SG) of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). To say he knows about tigers would be an understatement, that is. 

The aim of this post is to tell you a bit more about him. Paragraph 5a has an overview of his past. Paragraph 5b has an interview published 12-01-2022. After reading his cv and the interview, you, as I did, no doubt will conclude Feng Limin is heavily involved in field work. Has been for over 16 years now. He's the field work leader of the Tiger and Leopard Research Team of the Beijing Normal University. Mainly as a result of the efforts of this team, the largest real-time wildlife monitoring system in the new Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park (NTLNP) was established. 

In order to be able to find the best places for the cameras, knowledge was needed. Limin and his team, like the old school Russian biologists, achieved their goal the hard way: they walked. It must have taken them a long time to accomplish their mission, as the new National Park, at 14,000 spuare km, is the largest tiger (and leopard) reserve in the world. That's still apart from the severe winters and the terrain (hill country). Although they most probably invested thousands of hours, Feng Limin, known as the 'Savage Professor' because of his decision to go out there himself, never saw a wild Amur tiger.    

Limin's National Scientific Observation and Research Station for Siberian Tiger and Leopard Monitoring, and the research Station of the State Forestry and Grass Administration jointly built an observatory station in the depths of the forest with the Forestry Bureau, the Forest Public Security and the Frontier Defence. The cabin, loaded with instruments, even has a 5G signal.

The equipment installed resulted in more information, more knowledge and, as a result, more protection and, therefore, better breeding conditions. Before the NTLNP was established, about a third of the Amur tiger cubs made it to adulthood. Today, more than half reach that mark. As a result, the population rapidly increased. This year (2022), the number of adult wild Amur tigers will exceed 700. In the near future, depending on the political conditions, there could be 1,000 wild adult Amur tigers in Russia and (northeastern) China combined. A singular achievement without doubt. 
       

5a - Curriculum vitae 

*This image is copyright of its original author

5b - Article published 12-01-2022 (Baidu)

Informative and interesting article. What I remember most is this sentence:

" ... Over the past 16 years, he has been the field work leader of the tiger and leopard research team of Beijing Normal University. With the team's efforts, the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park has established the world's largest real-time wildlife monitoring system ... " (from the article below, first page).

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

5c - Tigers in the STLNP

The new Siberian Tiger and Leopard National Park has a lot of cameras. The direct result is many tigers and leopards have been captured on camera. Some of the photographs and videos show impressive tigers. How do they compare to the tigers captured and weighed in the Sichote-Alin Zapovednik and it's surroundings in the period 1992-2004?

The answer is we don't know. We do know a male recently weighed in northeastern China was 270 kg (597 pounds). According to Feng Limin, who confirmed the 270 kg tiger, another one was over 250 kg (552 pounds). The young male captured in the same region not so long ago (recently discussed in this thread) was 225 kg (497 pounds). 

There could be more heavyweights, both in Russia and in northeastern China. In the last month alone, photographs of two big tigresses and two large males were uploaded (referring to YouTube) by a certain 'Rickstar'. According to him, one of these males, tiger T-38, is considered as one of the largest in Russia. 

The equipent installed in the NTLNP, as stated before, will result in more information, more knowledge and more protection. One result is more cubs get to adulthood. Another is the new reserve will have more prey animals. This means there's no need for tigers to turn to captive animals. Last but not least is large individuals are enabled to pass on their genes and reach their potential.   

That potential is anybody's guess, but a century ago, N. Baikov (in 'Die Säugetiere der Sowjetunion', V.G. Heptner and A.A. Sludskij, Band III, German translation, 1980, pp. 118) thought the 'normal' maximum weights for males and females were 320 kg (707 pounds) and 180 kg (397 pounds) respectively. Today, wild males seem to range between 140-270 kg (310-597 pounds). Old males, like, for example, 'Tikhon' (140 kg), often are thin as a rail, whereas a large male in his prime can reach 270 kg in good conditions (referring to the male recently weighed in northeastern China). One has to remember that most healthy wild Amur tigers, as a result of a very sound policy, will never be captured, measured and weighed.

And what about reports of wild Amur tigers well exceeding the 'normal' maxima? In an evaluation of historic records published (in Russian) in 2005, those involved concluded that most (of the 44) reports were unreliable. The 254 kg (560 pounds) male Baikov shot near the Korean border in 1911 is still regarded as the heaviest wild male Amur tiger. The tiger was measured and weighed and Baikov published a photograph of the tiger. Records of tigers well exceeding that mark, also shot by Baikov, however, were not accepted and a large male shot in 1943 in Manchuria wasn't even mentioned. Remarkable, as the tiger was discussed in a book published by V. Jankowski. V. Mazak corresponded with V. Jankowski. He published a photograph of the tiger in his book 'Der Tiger' (1983, pp. 186). 

One of our longtime members (GuateGojira) monitors the weight situation. Based on records he considers reliable, he concluded wild male Amur tigers average about 200 kg (442 pounds). Wild male Indian tigers could be a tad heavier, but, seen from a distance, one could conclude they roughly compare and be very close. Male lions living in the southwestern part of Africa (South Africa, Namibia and, perhaps, Botswana) are quite close (referring to averages), but India, Russia and northeastern China seem to produce more large individuals. With 'large', I mean tigers exceeding 480 pounds (217,73 kg) and 9.8 (294,64 cm) measured 'between pegs'. Maybe Guate, when he has time, will be able to post a few updated tables in this thread. Reply