Emergency Response Team

The Amur tiger’s future in the Russian Far East is very much tied to its relationship with the human population. Lack of prey, wounds, or other factors can drive tigers to villages in search for easy prey such as livestock. People protect their livestock and this can endanger the lives of both man and tiger. To prevent and resolve human-tiger conflict situations, Wildlife Alliance's partner, the Phoenix Fund, established a Special Emergency Response team within the Primorsky State Committee on Environmental Protection. Before foundation of the team, most conflict human-tiger cases ended with the tiger's death at the hand of hunters.

Unless there are human-tiger conflicts to resolve, the rangers normally conduct regular anti-poaching patrols in the area. Depending upon the circumstances, investigating these situations usually involve scientists, nature reserves’ staff, and other specialists. Investigations last for approximately 1-7 days. The team informs the local authorities, media, and people about the methods of prevention of human-tiger conflict situations. 

In 2006, the Emergency Response Team investigated and resolved 44 human-tiger conflict situations, compared to 24 conflicts in 2002. This indicates that the Amur tiger population is growing, as well as farmers and other village residents are resolving tiger conflicts through non-violent solutions made available by Phoenix Fund outreach operations. 

In 2007, the team investigated fifty conflict tiger cases. Two tiger cubs and one adult tiger were found dead, while four tiger cubs were rescued and moved to zoos for rehabilitation. In one case, a tiger was hit by a bus.

So far in 2008, four tigers were found dead and one tiger cub was rescued and transported to the Utyos rehabilitation center. The rescued cub is scheduled for release into the wild in spring 2009.

With the support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Phoenix Fund developed Guidelines to Human Behavior and Livestock Management in Tiger Habitat, an official document to assist government agencies and private citizens living in tiger territory.

To learn more about Phoenix Fund, visit http://www.phoenix.vl.ru/