September 06, 2021

A Big Win for Big Cats


A Big Win for Big Cats
While these cats are still a long way from being in a safe, this is still a huge milestone for their conservation. Photo by Andy Holmes via Unsplash

A recent conversation between the Eastern branch of the World Wildlife Fund of Russia and RIA News has given us some promising information about the future of the Far East's big cat population. According to a representative from the group, both the populations of the Amur Tiger and the Amur Leopard have surpassed the point where extinction is a critical concern. 

A lot of this progress has happened incrementally over the past several years, thanks to the help of state-run animal and nature conservation programs. For the tigers, the Amur Tiger Center has been an immense help. The organization estimates that the current total number of tigers within the Russian/Manchurian region is somewhere between 450-480. 

The Land of the Leopard National Park has created an excellent reservation for the cats to live within and estimates to have around 110 leopards in the park. Of course, even the most solid borders are mere suggestions for these cats, as a fence is no obstacle for these excellent climbers. The cats do move between Russia and China of their own free will, either for hunting or for breeding, and this is likely to change in the future as the ecology of the two countries changes too.  

You Might Also Like

Saving the Amur Tiger
  • September 01, 2007

Saving the Amur Tiger

The magisterial tigers of Russia's Far East are on the brink of extinction. Threats to their survival are legion: from poachers to Chinese "healers" to nervous villagers to corrupt bureaucrats. All told, just a few hundred Amur Tigers remain in the wild.
Ice, Ice, Baby Tigers
  • November 21, 2019

Ice, Ice, Baby Tigers

A cold flag, a resolved cold case, and the not-cold-at-all hearts of Russian children
A Paw-some Recovery
  • March 17, 2021

A Paw-some Recovery

Rescuers at the Amur Tiger Center are always happy to lend a helping hand (or paw) to tigers in need.  
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955