Boris and Svetlaya, two Amur tigers, were reunited after Boris traveled nearly 200 kilometers through dense forests to find his former companion. Six months after their reunion, the pair welcomed a litter of cubs, as reported by The Indian Express.
Boris and Svetlaya's journey began in 2012 when they were rescued as orphaned cubs from the Sikhote-Alin mountains, known as Russia's "last stronghold of tigers." They were raised together for a few months in a conservation program aimed at minimizing human contact while teaching them essential survival skills, according to IFLScience. The orphaned cubs were kept in specially designed enclosures to reduce human interaction, preserving their wild instincts. Once ready, the cubs were exposed to live prey to develop their hunting skills.
In 2014, after acquiring the necessary skills, the tigers were fitted with GPS collars and released into the wild. They were deliberately released approximately 190 kilometers apart in the Pri-Amur region, a historic habitat for Amur tigers, to maximize dispersion between Russia and China, as noted by Le Parisien. This strategy aimed to encourage the spread of the tiger population and expand their territory.
Conservationists monitoring Boris's movements noticed unusual patterns. Instead of settling into a specific territory like most tigers, Boris embarked on a journey. He was traveling in a straight line towards Svetlaya.
“The data demonstrated that orphaned cubs, raised in captivity and released, were just as good as wild tigers at hunting... This success demonstrates that tigers, with proper isolation from humans and careful preparation, can thrive in the wild,” said Dale Miquelle of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), according to The Indian Express.
The successful reintroduction of Boris and Svetlaya, who not only survived but also reproduced in the wild, is viewed as a promising indicator for ongoing tiger repopulation initiatives, according to Scienze Notizie.
Currently, it is estimated that there are fewer than 4,500 tigers scattered across 63 different landscapes, representing only 8% of their historical distribution. In Russia, estimates of the number of tigers remaining vary between 485 and 750 individuals, according to GEO France.
Conservationists believe that the border area between Russia and China, including the Primorye region where Boris and Svetlaya live, could host hundreds more Siberian tigers. Despite the destruction of natural habitat due to human development, there are potentially over 700,000 square kilometers of free habitat in Asia suitable for tigers, offering hope for their successful reintroduction into the wild.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq