An Amur tiger cub was found barely alive in Primorye on February 25, 2012. The young predator aged approximately 5-6 months was saved by Hunting Management Department specialists while conducting an annual wildlife survey on the hunting grounds of Borisovkoye hunting lease. The animal was so exhausted that one could take it barehanded. Its foreleg and tail were likely to be frostbitten. The cub came close to a hunter’s cabin as if it asked people to help. As it was too risky to leave the helpless young tiger in the forest, the Hunitng Management Department specialists decided to take the animal out of the wild and keep it indoors where it could get warm and be checked by veterinarians. According to the vets, if the young predator had not been rescued that day, it would have died the next day. The cub weighed up to 16 kilograms (35 pounds).
At the moment, it is very important to find out why the cub turned out to be alone in the forest. Usually tigers separate and begin their own independent lives at the age of two. This cub is too young (approximately 5-6 months old) to be separated from its mother. The specialists initiated a search for the tigress.
On March 4, Inspection Tiger press officer informed that the cub would be taken to the newly constructed Tiger Rehabilitation Centre in Primorye. He also added that there was no danger to animal’s health anymore and that the cub was on its way to full recovery. The young predator became more active and began to show the normal fear of humans which is a necessary ability that helps wild animals survive in taiga. After being treated in an improvised rehabilatation centre for several days, it has become stronger, attaining a weight of 25 kilos (55 pounds).
