PERSPECTIVES OF AMUR TIGER (PANTHERA TIGRIS ALTAICA) CONSERVATION, A POPULATION IN THE KHABAROVSK KRAI TAKEN AS AN EXAMPLE

The study is aimed at assessing the status of the key Amur tiger population, Panthera tigris, in the Khabarovsk Krai in the conditions of sharply deteriorated trophic conditions caused by the African swine fever outbreak and ongoing habitat degradation. Two relatively large areas where typical regional economic activities are conducted were chosen as study sites. The research was conducted using both traditional (snow tracking) and modern (camera traps) methods, which, in combination, helped reduce subjectivity in interpreting the results. An analysis of critically important factors negatively impacting the tiger population at the northern limit of their distribution was performed. Excessive tiger mortality in recent years has been demonstrated, which could lead to long-term negative processes in the population and significant reduction. Possible measures to reduce the emerging threats to the northernmost Amur tiger population ( Panthera tigris altaica) are discussed.