New brood of the most famous tigress recorded in Primorye

New for science cubs of the world-famous female Amur tiger under number T 41F captured a photo trap of the Directorate of reserves “Land of the leopard”. Scientists have for the first time obtained data from the wild about this most secretive brood of stellar tigress and for the first time noted tiger cubs on a natural “bridge”. The famous mother T 41F became famous among the Amur tigers thanks to the famous animal photographer Sergey Gorshkov. The photo of this big cat from the national park was the best in the most prestigious wildlife photo contest Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020. The tigress was on the covers of world newspapers and magazines, at photo exhibitions in many world capitals. The unique footage for the first time captured the transition on a log through a frozen river of two ten-month-old kittens of the Amur tiger. One of the offspring preferred the “air” crossing of solid ground, and the second overcame a difficult path along the trunk to the end. Afterwards, the tiger family rushed out of the frame. Unlike kittens, the mother of the twins decided to walk on the ice of the river. After analyzing the new material, scientists have determined what is associated with the behavior of young people.

The log for tiger cubs looks more attractive than the smooth surface of a frozen river. This is due to the fact that now, at the age of 9-10 months, tiger cubs are showing increased research activity, studying everything new and interesting, what stands out in the surrounding landscape. Such exercises also contribute to the development of the vestibular apparatus and an important sense of balance for predators, said Dina Matyukhin, senior researcher at the Land of the Leopard FSBI. The main range is located in the south of the Far East of Russia. The group of these wild cats lives in the forests of southwestern Primorye, where it is under reliable protection in the national park “Land of the Leopard”. The cats are carefully watched by 500 automatic cameras, forming the largest photo monitoring network in Russia. According to the latest data, 58 adult Amur tigers were recorded in the protected areas of the Leopard Land. Here is the highest number of the Amur tiger among all protected areas of Russia.

Materials, photos and videos prepared and provided by the national park.