Friday, Mar 15 2024
All Cities
Choose Your City
'Since 1902 there was a daily 'butter' train, leaving Novosibirsk to Riga, Latvia, with 25 carriages, each loaded with 7 000 kg of butter'
0

Tragic moment a rare Amur tiger cub is fatally hit by a bus in Russian Far East

By 0 and 0 and 0
17 February 2020

0

‘The driver did not have any chance to avoid the collision.' Picture: Amur Tiger Center

The tiger dashed across the highway near Gogolevka village in Primorsky region, leaving the bus driver no chance to avoid it. 

Video caught both the moment the endangered cub was hit, but also how wounded and dazed it struggled into the forest after the accident.

The driver reported the incident and a hunting patrol later found the tiger’s corpse. The cat had died from its injuries. 

Video of the moment of collision via Amur Tiger Center

The animal was found to be a cub aged just four or five months old.

Sergey Aramilev, head of the Amur Tiger Centre dedicated to saving the threatened species, commented: ‘This is a truly tragic death of a tiger cub, and in this story there are a number of questions that are not yet answered. 

‘The main one is why the tiger cub was alone on the road, without its mother, which at this age should always be there. 

‘Experts of hunting supervision are now  trying to get an answer to this and other questions.’

Tiger suddenly jumped to the road


Moment of collision


Tiger on the road


Tiger on the road


Tiger managed to run away

The tiger dashed across the highway near Gogolevka village in Primorsky region, leaving the bus driver no chance to avoid it. Pictures: Amur Tiger Center. @dps_vl

The beast was too young to survive in the wild on its own which raises a fear that its mother became wounded  - or was killed by poachers. 

There is also concern for any siblings.

He accepted the bus driver had ‘no chance’ to save the tiger. 

Wildlife experts rushed to the scene but the tiger had been fatally injured by the blow.

Tiger's body found


Tiger's body found

Hunting patrol later found the tiger’s corpse. Pictures: Amur Tiger Center

‘The injuries sustained by the animal turned out to be incompatible with life. There is no one to blame in this situation,' he said.

’It is truly a tragic set of circumstances: an accident occurred in the dark, this section of the road is not lit, and the cub jumped out in front of the bus at the most inopportune moment.  

‘The driver did not have any chance to avoid the collision…the driver acted correctly, he avoided injuring passengers and almost saved the animal.’

But experts dedicated to saving the rare species are determined to find out the fate of this cub’s mother and any siblings.

Video shows the tiger cub lying on the road after the collision. Via Amur Tiger Center

‘It is very important to understand what happened to the tigress,’ he said. 

‘In the best case, she is healthy and alive, and in the worst, some disaster happened to her, and the tiger cub, left alone, went on his last trip. 

‘In this situation, he may have brothers and sisters, and perhaps they need help. 

‘Therefore, hunting supervision experts and our organisation continue to work at the scene and in the vicinity.’

There are less than 600 Siberian - or Amur - tigers living in the wild in their native habitat in eastern Russia.

The species was hunted close to extinction by poachers but is now gradually making a comeback.

Video shows how wounded and dazed it struggled into the forest after the accident. By @dps_vl

Comments (4)

There must be people to create a safety for the Amur tigers and Amur panthers that they don't die for nothing. There should be from a higher officer to find the way to save their lives. Both the Amur Tiger and the Amur Leopards are near die out from Siberia. To have such a big cats in nature of Siberia is äbundance of the multidivercity of nature.
Leiah Sariell, Lapland Finland
10/04/2020 17:24
4
0
Another tragic story. At least the bus driver correctly stopped at the scene of the accident and reported it, others would have simply driven off,not caring a damn.

I hope and pray that Sergey Aramilev's unanswered questions will be answered in the very near future and that the cub's mother will be found with any siblings asap.

Thank you for your ongoing dedication, courage and truly great work at the Amur Tiger Centre . Please keep us informed of any further events and updates to this heartbreaking tragedy...
Anonymous, Switzerland
19/02/2020 19:07
17
0
That is sad. Similarly here in Florida, there are only about 200 Florida Panthers that are in the wild and 4 were killed in the first 2 weeks of 2020, 3 by autos and one hit by a train. Population growth and real estate development is decreasing the size of their habitat and contributes to their demise.
SteveC, Odessa FL USA
18/02/2020 04:30
19
0
Good for you following up on the family.................too sad for the youngster.
James H. Mundy IV, United States
18/02/2020 03:24
20
0
1

Add your comment

We welcome a healthy debate, but do not accept offensive or abusive comments. Please also read 'Siberian Times' Privacy Policy

Name

Town/Country

Add your comments

The views expressed in the comments above are those of our readers. 'Siberian Times' reserves the right to pre-moderate some comments.

Control code*

Type the code

* obligatory


News

Business

The Bank of Russia official exchange rates of foreign currencies
EURUSDGBPOther...