Natural Causes Account for 18% of Amur Tiger Deaths in Russia, Says Amur Tiger Center Director

MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/. Around 18% of Amur tigers die from natural causes, including injuries sustained while hunting, Sergey Aramilev, director of the Amur Tiger center, told TASS.

"Deaths from natural causes account for about 15-18% of tiger mortality in Russia. In other words, we lose nearly one-fifth of the population annually without human interference," he said.

The life of the largest member of the cat family in the Russian Far East involves constant physical exertion and a high risk of injury, the expert added.

However, the risk of injury stems not only from clashes during the hunt but also from confrontations with large animals. Specifically, adult male wild boars can pose a serious danger to a tiger. "In the Far East, wild boars can weigh up to 300 kilograms. That is an animal comparable in size to a tiger, a truly ferocious beast that commands respect," he explained.

Despite their ability to handle large prey, tigers often prefer to hunt younger animals to reduce the risk of injury, Aramilev noted.

Natural mortality is one of the factors affecting the status of the Amur tiger population, alongside habitat quality, prey availability, and human activity, he said, adding that there are currently about 750 Amur tigers in Russia.