- Title: RUSSIA: Siberian tiger cubs rescued after being abandoned by their mother
- Date: 22nd June 2007
- Summary: (EU) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JUNE 20, 2007) (REUTERS) ENTRANCE TO MOSCOW ZOO
- Embargoed: 7th July 2007 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Environment / Natural World
- Reuters ID: LVA1EMO93QPBPUQULSUESQYZXZZD
- Story Text: Animal welfare activists and Russia's ministry of natural resources help rescue two rare Siberian tiger cubs believed to have been abandoned by their mother in Russia's Far East region. Two Siberian tiger cubs believed to have been abandoned by their mother in the wild in Russia's Far East region, have been rescued by local animal protection groups.
Local staff from IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) arranged for the two tiger cubs, now about four months old, to be flown to Moscow from the Vladivostok region on Wednesday (June 20).
IFAW has arranged for the animals to be transferred to separate tiger rehabilitation centres in Russia, and Sweden.
According to IFAW, the Siberian tiger cubs were found by a logger and a truck driver in the Vladivostok region in February, aged about two months.
"This year is very exceptional. This year six tiger cubs in the Russian Far East were found by people. Regretfully two of them died because they were too weak and malnutritioned. Four survived. Two sisters which you see here today, they were found in February and they walked towards the camp of loggers in the Russian Far East," said Masha Vorontsova, head of the Russian branch of IFAW.
IFAW said Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources had provided urgent veterinary support and transport facilities in helping the transfer of the rescued tiger cubs.
The Siberian tiger, which primarily lives in Russia's Far East, is one of the most endangered species in Asia.
Also known as the Amur, Korean, Manchurian, or North China tiger, the Siberian tiger is one of the largest and most powerful species of felines.
Besides the Vladivostok region, Siberian tigers can also be found in Russia's Khabarovsk region, which borders China and North Korea.
In 1996, Russia had a total of 430 Amur tigers in the wild. Russian conservation efforts, however, have led to a slight increase, or at least to a stable population of the tiger. In 2005, there were between an estimated 430 and 530 tigers in the wild.
Nevertheless, the big cat now needs protection from poachers, many of whom sell the tiger parts to China where prices are high on such goods. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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