Rehabilitating tigers for range expansion: lessons from the Russian Far East

Abstract

Empty but suitable habitat exists for many of the world's terrestrial large carnivores, yet reintroductions are often considered difficult. In the Russian Far East, orphaned Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) cubs were brought into captivity but prepared for re-release into the wild. We addressed 2 questions after reintroduction: 1) were individuals raised in captivity capable of killing prey at a rate sufficient to survive, and 2) did individuals avoid use of domestic animals as a primary source of food? We collected data on hunting behavior of 6 orphaned tigers re-released into their indigenous range, and compared kill composition, kill rate, and consumption rate to individuals studied within the existing range (Sikhote-Alin) of Amur tigers. Prey composition of rehabilitated tigers varied from that of the Sikhote-Alin tigers, but composition of major food groups was nearly identical. Kill rate of rehabilitated tigers was higher and prey size was smaller than that of Sikhote-Alin tigers, but consumption rates were nearly identical. One young male tiger depredated domestic animals, but other individuals only rarely preyed on dogs or cattle they encountered in forests. We documented high survival, reproduction, and recruitment of re-released individuals. These results indicate that tigers held in captivity during the majority of their early lives can survive in the wild, so long as exposure to humans is kept to a minimum and individuals learn to hunt wild prey before release. Results provide a potential framework for reintroductions of tigers and other large felids across the globe.