Siberian (Amur) tiger

The Siberian tiger, also called the Amur tiger, is the tiger of the cold northern forests of Asia. Today it lives mainly in the Sikhote-Alin mountains of Russia's Far East, with a small number in northeast China and possibly North Korea. It once roamed the whole Korean Peninsula, which is why Koreans also call it the Baekdusan (Mount Paektu) tiger or Korean tiger, but it disappeared from Korea during the period of Japanese rule (1910-1945).

Siberian tigers have long, thick fur and paler colours than tigers from warm countries, which suits their snowy winters. Scientists now count them as part of the same mainland tiger subspecies as the Bengal tiger. Their numbers fell very low because of hunting, but strict protection has helped: a 2015 census found about 480 to 540 in Russia's Far East, and a 2022 estimate was around 750, including cubs. Tigers are still listed as Endangered.

Where does it live?

Siberian tigers live in mountain forests and river valleys, where winters are long and snowy. Each tiger needs a very large area to find enough prey, and males roam farther than females. Russia's Primorsky Krai, on the Sea of Japan, holds the biggest group. During the 2014-2015 census, about 2,000 people searched an area of roughly 150,000 square kilometres for tiger tracks, droppings and claw marks, and they used camera traps to photograph the cats.

What does it eat?

The Siberian tiger is a carnivore that hunts mostly hoofed animals such as Manchurian wapiti (a big deer), sika deer, roe deer, moose, musk deer and wild boar. It also catches smaller animals like hares and pikas, and even salmon. Very occasionally it takes young bears. Like other tigers, it hunts mostly from dusk to dawn, creeping close under cover and then attacking in a short, powerful rush. A big kill may be eaten over several days.

Is it endangered?

Heavy poaching during the Russian Empire, and again during the hard times of the 1990s, pushed them toward extinction. The Soviet Union banned tiger hunting in 1947 and China in 1962. These bans, tougher laws against poaching and the illegal trade in tiger parts, and more deer and boar for tigers to eat have helped the population recover. Tigers are listed on CITES Appendix I, which bans international trade in them.

On the globe

The model shows a Siberian tiger near Mt. Paektu and the Russian Far East. Look for its orange coat with black stripes in the northern forest.