Due to the threatened status of the tiger, a national strategy for Amur tiger conservation is being developed in Russia, based on the recent decree by Chairman V. Chernomyrdin. A critical component of a national strategy will be the recommendations for habitat protection for Primorye and Khabarovsk Krais: what lands need to be protected, and how those lands should be protected to i

Our experience is based on 3 - years' intensive research of tiger movements, home range size, and behavior based on a radio tracking study in Sikhote-Alin Reserve and in southwest Primorye - the first research of its kind for the Amur tiger. The Hornoker Wildlife Institute also has extensive experience in developing conservation plans for other large carnivores (for example, mountain lions, brown bears, jaguars and leopards). Therefore we can help the Russian government to develop a frame work for conservation that has worked for other large carnivores in other countries. It will of course be necessary for the Russian specialists to adopt those components of this program that are feasible in the unique conditions of the Russian Far East. We hope that we can work together towards that goal. We realize that a comprehensive conservation plan for the Amur tiger will involve many components: anti-poaching, ungulate management, enforcement of CITES regulations, research, environment!

To maintain the possibility of genetic exchange vital to long-term viability of the Amur tiger population, the network of protected areas, as well as all other areas managed for tigers, must be Interconnected. Therefore, each core area, as well as areas designated as important Tiger Management Zone (see below) must be interconnected. This will require development of ecological corridors to insure protection of habitat and the possibility of movement of tigers between management zones. Narrow ecological corridors not sufficient for tigers. Corridors for tigers must be wide: large enough to sustain prey populations and large enough to sustain tigers while living in and traveling through corridors.

Some topics in this essay:
Russian East, Network Protected, Amur Tiger, Khabarovsk Forests, Management Zone, Sikhote-Alin Reserve, Lazo Reserve, Long-Range Planning, Protection Plan, Size Territoriality, amur tiger, tiger habitat, tiger conservation, home range, home range size, range size, network protected, adult female, russian east, breeding females, adult breeding, 50 adult breeding, adult breeding females, amur tiger population, adult female tigers,