While the female cub was rescued, its male sibling was found extremely exhausted and died shortly afterwards.
On March 17, 2012, a 5-6-month old male Amur tiger cub was found by Primorsky Hunting Management Department specialists in the forest. The animal was apparently a litter mate of the young tigresses rescued on February 25. Unfortunately, the next day, despite emergency care the male tiger cub died.
The tiger specialists reported that the cub had sustained head trauma. It might have sustained the wound as a result of a fight with a badger. They suppose that the cub found a badger borrow and was attacked by a furious badger. During the fight the young predator got its nose seriously injured and had its lip bitten through which caused inflammation in mouth and throat. Trying to survive on its own, the cub fed on remnants of decaying deer hides and timber fungus which did not give it much energy and nutrients.
As soon as the cub was found by people, it was immediately brought in a warm facility where it was treated by veterinarians. But despite all the efforts the animal died. A necropsy performed on the cub indicated that it had been malnourished and dehydrated, and excessive exposure to cold led to irreversible processes in its body and death.
A month ago when the Hunting Management Department specialists found the female cub alone in the forest, they initiated a search for the tigress and the second cub. The specialists had reasons to suppose that there was another tiger cub. According to the results of the first stage of Amur tiger survey conducted in December 2011, the experts found tracks left by a tigress and two cubs close to the place where almost two months later a young female tiger cub was found. In late February, during the second stage of the tiger survey the experts found tracks left by the second cub. Sadly, the cubs’ mother was probably killed by a poacher. The specialists were tracking the animal for a few days before they finally could see orange and black stripes. Its desperate attempts to defend itself from people significantly exhausted the cub’s strength. We are all sorry to hear that the cub has died.
