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

[peter]

(11-03-2017, 10:30 AM)Wolverine Wrote:

(11-02-2017, 01:31 PM)peter Wrote:

(11-01-2017, 06:55 AM)Wolverine Wrote:

(10-31-2017, 11:07 PM)peter Wrote: THE ACTORS FROM THE ARTICLE IN POST 1,308

This is Amur tigress 'Rashel', a mother of four cubs -

*This image is copyright of its original author

And this is a very large male brown bear following 'Rashel' and displacing her when she killed for her cubs -

*This image is copyright of its original author

Peter, knowing that the average weight of female Amur tigress is 120 kg, and if we guess that Rashel is a an average female what is your assessment about the body weight of the big guy?
Thank you for posting this images because I don't have computer skills to load images in the forum.

For now what we know about Rashel is that she got her name from one lady, a foreign tourist visited the aria. That's lady name was also "Rashel".
Also we know that "last year she had four cubs. Despite the fact that her cubs are already not small and two of them are already separated from the tigress this good mother still help to another two cubs with feeding. They doesn't go too far away from the mother and approach imidiately when she call them".
That's only information till now about Rashel.

To follow the fate and live of Amur tiger is much harder than doing the same with tigers in India. Russian Ussuriland is vast wilderness, scarcely populated, there are almost no roads and trails there, tiger's territories are 20 times larger than territory of tropical tigers. Some arias outside national parks and reserves could be dangerous for lonely biologist to enter not only because of harsh climate, remoteness and big carnivores but because there hide some outlawed criminals, lonely people with guns and weird suspisiuos mind called "shatuns". In general, Ussuriland is not a joke, its a very severe, harsh land. In same time its a unique, grandiouse ecosystem.

According to reliable sources, an average adult male brown bear in the Russian Far East (Ursus arctos lasiotus) is 260-270 kg. (574-596 pounds). A large male easily exceeds 300 kg. (662 pounds). The male on the photograph seems to be of exceptional size. My guess is he could be close to 800 pounds (362,88 kg.). 

As to Ussuriland. I agree it's a unique, vast and very wild region with few people. I know a bit about remote regions and people who live there. Not a few of them prefer isolation for good reasons. Those who like to be on their own often live by their own rules. In a way, they compare to the large carnivores also making their home in the forests. 

Well over a century ago, Baikov wrote about the rules of the taiga. Not murder, but theft was considered the worst crime. Offenders were buried alive or tied to trees for tigers. No wonder man-eaters were not uncommon in Manchuria and the northern part of Korea back then. 

Tough country, tough people. And tough measures for those who broke rules. But it had no effect. Dersu was killed by people out for his skins and so were many others. Lev Kaplanov, a great biologist who rang the bell for Amur tigers, died well before his time. They think poachers could have been involved, but nobody was ever arrested. 

In Russia, conservation is taken very seriously. In spite of the focus of politicians on conservation, the measures taken and the quality of the rangers, about 20 Amur tigers are poached every year. Those who kill for skins also often poach. Although the laws regarding poaching often prove to be inadequate, rangers take their job seriously. Many have been arrested and quite many incidents of poaching reach the press. As a result, rangers have to watch their back all the time. Same for a biologist entering unknown territory on his own.

In spite of all that, I would like to visit Ussuriland. I know tourism is being developed, but I don't care that much about tours. My aim is good information about Ussuriland and the large carnivores it has. I want to meet people in the know. Specialists. Another goal is to measure skulls in the natural history museums of Chabarowsk and Vladivostok. I want to talk to people who can open a few doors. If you have ideas, please let me know.

USSURI FOREST
I think the mane reason for the uniqueness of Ussuri forest is the amasing, almost unthinkable combination of Northern and tropical species of plants and animals. Summer time Ussuriland looks like Amazon or Indian tropical forest, humid, rainy and fogy, with tigers and leopards roaming among the lush vegetation where the grass rich 3 meters high. Winter time - opposite - Ussuri forest transform to sub-arctic landscape, bloody cold, snowy with temperatures falling to bellow -45 C it start looking like Yukon or Alaska. I arrived to conclusion that the main cause for this rapid differences between seasons is the vertical North-South circulation of air masses, cyclons and anti-cyclons during the different seasons which is quite rear phenomenon in the planet. During the winter the winds are blowing directly from the Northern Siberia and sea of Okhotsk - this "refrigerator" of all Eastern Asia (as Hudson Bay is the refrigerator of North America), during the summer the winds turn South - directly from the equatorial and tropical arias of Pacific close to Philipins bringing monsoons.

Other reason for the amasing richness of Ussuri forest is the fact that this aria has never been covered by glaciers, even during the last Ice Age because the winds from Siberia winter time were so dry and winter precipitation so small that they almost didn't create snow cover.

Concerning number of large carnivores I think Ussuri forest can rival Africa and even India:
tiger, leopard (very rear), brown bear, Asiatic black bear, grey wolf, Indian wild dog (extinct), lynx, wolverine.

Peter, unfortunately I can't help you with any practical links or connections in Vladivostok or Habarovsk, personally I have Bulgarian origins. But knowing the language  and mentality of Russian people and reading a lot of information from Russian sources about this region I could give you some advices. If you visit the aria try to dress and look like a local Russian, don't show visibly that you are Westerner, better use second hand dresses and try not to attract too much attention to yourself. Best season is early Autumn - September and October. I think you have 3 options:
1. You can visit one of "zapovedniks" (reservs) like "Lazovskij" or Sihote-Alinskij" zapovednik if somebody of the local scientists invite you as a scientist, they will show you everything. This is the best option, completely safe.
2. You can visit one of the national parks as "Zov Tigra" or "The Land of the leopard" close to the Vladivostok, the national parks unlike zapovedniks are open for tourists and accessible for everybody. I red that they have various trails each 10 to 15 kilometers long where you can walk and hike . The national parks in Ussuriland are completely safe for foreigners, already they attract foreign tourists, mainly from USA, Canada and Scandinavian countries. Tourism could help for protecting local nature but Ussuriland is so far from Europe and North America that could never attract massive safari tourism like Africa or Alaska, probably only Japaneese and Korean groups.
3. Third options is if you decide to visit more remote places outside protected arias, for example the monumental endless virgin forests of Bikin valley. In this case you accept significant risk. Nobody enter deep in the Ussuri forest without personal gun. You can easy be lost, frozen and worst of all - you can run into poacher or poachers (majority of local hunters are poachers as well) and if they decide that you are spying them you are in deadly danger. Also in some arias could hide escaped prisoners. If you want to visit Bikin valley you need to have close friend or friends in the aria to protect you. In this forests Russian state laws almost do not apply, the laws are made by forest guys. Outside national parks and "zapovedniks" only the tigers are so so relatively safe from people with guns because they have protection of the Big Boss in Kremlin, His long hand rich even this remote arias... But even they are not completely safe. You can rent a truck 4x4 from Vladivostok.
I also have a dream to visit Ussuri forest from early childhood but always delay the trip due to family and financial reasons....

WOLVERINE

Sorry for the late reply. I was out. Agreed with your view on the Russian Far East. It is a unique region in many respects. There are different reasons, but a lack of natural barriers blocking air masses from the north and south is important. The result, as you said, is a unique flora and fauna. A true boreal jungle.

As to the advice offered on visiting the region (many thanks!). I prefer the first option, but the problem is formal training. I have a degree, but I'm not a biologist and co-running a forum on the natural world with Sanjay isn't going to solve that problem. And a problem it is, as I know all about degrees and status. That leaves either a tour or visiting the region myself.

I prefer to go there myself. The problem is a lack of local knowledge. After reading a number of books on Ussuriland, I concluded that detailed knowledge of this vast region is a must. This means I need a few people who know about the taiga and the animals making their home in the boreal forest. As I have no contacts in Russia, I might use a tour to get to know a few people. But I wouldn't mind starting in the natural history museums of Vladivostok or Chabarowsk. In order to measure skulls, however, you need someone able to open a few doors.   

As to remore regions and problems. I visited regions of great beauty in Europe, Australia and South America more or less on my own. As a result, I met quite many who made their home in the natural world.

I didn't see one type, but a mix of characters. As I wouldn't quite know how to cover it, I propose to distinguish between groups. In the first group, I though I saw those who have something going with the law. They seem more informed than others and stay out of sight. In the second group, you'll find those who don't feel at home in today's world. In the third group, you'll find professionals. Some are trappers, whereas others study or protect animals. The fourth group has those born and bred in the region. They do what is needed to survive. The last group has state officials, tourists and firms connected to tourism and hunting. 

Remote regions with few people and rare wild animals also attract those interested in harvesting the products of the forest no matter what. Poachers and those interested in testing modern rifles can be dangerous. Those on the move all the time also qualify for this department. The unconnected. 

As to character. Individualism seems to be more outspoken in remote regions. Those who have to deal with problems on their own in a region that has few people as well as large carnivores need to rely on themselves. For this reason, they, perhaps more often than those living in cities, need to be able to get to sound decisions; decisions good for them and not too bad for others. One could say these conditions tend to produce balanced characters.

As to risks. Animals first. Large wild carnivores, and big cats in particular, often are very aware of their neighbours. Only very few of them operate in the department of unprovoked attacks and most have a degree in humans and how to avoid them. The reason is you never know with twolegs.   

As to weirdoism and location. Individuals first. Based on what I saw, I'd say that those suffering from problems in the top floor seem to avoid places where they are confronted with themselves and wildish neighbours with more than two legs. The reason is that individuals are more known in remote regions. This means that unsound decisions could have personal consequences. In regions where many millions live in close proximity, things are different in that definitions, especially in the department of law and order, seem to be somewhat, ehh, more elastic. Furthermore, they have doctors, judges, institutions and a lot more. If we add a lack of budget and overview, the conclusion is that retribution isn't all that personal. Last but not least, they have many errors with terrible consequences. For others.  

Groups. As soon as they decide for large groups with outspoken ideas, a formal structure and a flag, humans seem to change their behaviour. Not seldom, it results in problems. Any difference between the US and Russia in this department? 

In the US, remote regions seem to be a favourite of groups involved in extremism. Not seldom, members prepare for an all-out war. Not what you want. As a result of the constitution and the amendments, authorities often can't act. Not in time. The problem in Russia isn't hate groups and amendments, but poverty and professional organisations involved in poaching. That and a lack of budget. The result is that 20-40 Amur tigers are poached every year. Organisations involved in poaching do not distinguish between rangers and others opposing them. Terror often is the best way to succeed.      

Any difference between the US and Russia for someone interested in visiting a remote region? Well, they don't have tigers in the US.

Anything to add? Yes. When you go out there, take good advice of people living close to large carnivores and reptiles with a bit of salt. The reason is that many don't really know about their wild neighbours. Same for fishermen who never ever saw a shark in the waters they know so well.

Remember this post has many generalisations with a very personal character. Reply