Far Eastern Ecologists to Discuss Preservation of Amur Tiger & Other Rare Beasts

Far Eastern specialists and ecologists are meeting in Khabarovsk on Thursday to discuss plans to preserve the Amur tiger and other rare animals inhabiting the Far Eastern taiga, Alexander Kulikov, Chairman of the Board of a regional public organisation called the Khabarovsk Fund of Wild Animals, reported on Wednesday.

According to his words, the fact that many of the rare beasts listed in the Far Eastern, Russian and international Red Books are on the verge of extinction is a problem not only for Far Eastern ecologists.

In fact, international organisations allocate substantial grants to enlarge guarded territories and organise efforts to save Amur tigers, Far Eastern leopards and other unique species of the taiga fauna.

Power structures and public organisations create new preserves and game reserves in the Far East and form special detachments responsible for guarding the tigers and their habitat.

Some specialists say the number of tigers inhabiting the Khabarovsk territory has recently grown to 60-70 - an optimal number for the local conditions. However, there are also pessimists who believe man's economic activity, which reaches deep into the taiga, and poaching will lead to a situation when Amur tigers and Far Eastern leopards will be found only in zoos and menageries.