This Valentine’s Day, we spotlight an extraordinary story from the Russian Far East: the journey of two Amur tigers, Boris and Svetlaya. Their remarkable reunion, following Boris’s 120-mile trek, offers not only a rare insight into tiger behaviour but also hope for conservation efforts.
Poaching and Orphaned Cubs
Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) are the world’s largest big cats, with an estimated population of 265–486 individuals in the Russian Far East and northeast China. Despite their resilience, poaching for the illegal wildlife trade remains a major threat, sometimes leaving cubs orphaned. Historically, these cubs rarely survived, but rehabilitation programmes now provide them with a second chance. Boris and Svetlya are two examples of tigers orphaned at just a few months old and rehabilitated through a specialised programme in Russia*.
Kolya Rybin, Sasha Rybin and Dale Miquelle tranquillize the orphaned cub Boris and put him into a potato sack for transport to the rehabilitation center. ANO WCS
The Rehabilitation Program
Boris and Svetlaya underwent a rigorous rehabilitation programme designed to prepare them for life in the wild. Key steps included:
- Rescue and Initial Care: Cubs received medical assessments and quarantine upon rescue.
- Minimised Human Contact: Remote feeding systems and visual barriers prevented human habituation.
- Hunting Skills Development: Cubs learned to hunt live prey, from rabbits to wild boar, completing at least 24 successful large prey hunts.
- Behavioural Assessment: Cubs were monitored for avoidance of human contact before release.
Release and Monitoring
After 18 months in the rehabilitation program Tigers are released into carefully selected remote areas with suitable prey densities and minimal human activity. Release sites were chosen over 100 miles apart to promote the range expansion of the Amur tiger.
A 2024 study of Boris, Svetlaya, and four other rehabilitated tigers analysed data from these camera traps and collars. The research found that these tigers exhibited natural hunting behaviours, established territories, and demonstrated minimal human conflict—findings comparable to tigers who reached maturity in the wild with their mothers. This confirms that orphaned cubs can successfully adapt to the wild.
Not only did this monitoring reveal the rehabilitated tigers had adapted to life in the wild, but it also revealed the remarkable journey Boris had taken. Travelling 120 miles in a near-straight line, Boris made a mammoth journey to make his way back to Svetlaya. Then just 6 months after they reunited the pair of young lovers introduced their first litter of cubs.
Amur tigers Boris and Svetlaya lounge together in the wild. ANO WCS
Future Implications for Conservation
A 2024 study, which included Boris, Svetlaya, and four other rehabilitated tigers, confirmed that orphaned tigers can successfully adapt to the wild, establish territories, and contribute to population growth. The findings highlight the potential to reintroduce tigers into over 700,000 km² of suitable habitat across Asia and suggest that, under careful management, captive-born tigers from accredited programmes could support reintroduction efforts.
*The rehabilitation of Amur tigers in the Russian Far East is primarily managed by the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, with support from the Russian Geographical Society and the Amur Tiger Centre. The Amur Tiger Centre, an NGO, oversees the rehabilitation process and has managed the care and release of multiple tigers. The centre, built in Alekseevka, Primorye, includes specialised enclosures designed to minimise human contact and facilitate the development of hunting skills necessary for survival in the wild.
