Anti-poaching
Rifle, tiger skin and an enormous leg-hold trap that where confiscated in
April 2000. Two Amur leopard skins that were confiscated mber in Khasan in
December1999
Tiger cub skin is taken from poacher (1998). Click on picture for more information.
On the right animals killed by another poacher: badger, a kind of marten,
squirrel, raccoon and cartridges.
Compensation project
These pictures show a typical deer kill at a deer farm. An inspector of the
anti-poaching team inspects the deer kill that was reported by a deer farm.
Leopards usually cover their prey with leaves. A leopard often eats no more
than one third of a deer during his first meal, and he usually starts to eat
at the hind-quarters. The deer was killed with a typical bite in the neck.
Leopard tracks can be found when there is mud or snow. In this case the size
of the pugmark that was found a few meters from the dead deer indicated that
it was killed by a mature female leopard. Leopards use trees to climb the
deer fences. A number of hairs were stuck to the bark of the tree. These hairs
can be used for genetic analysis. The dead deer was found only a few meters
away from this tree in the fence, but it is possible that the leopard killed
it at a different spot and carried it to the fence. The leopard returned during
the next two nights to eat more from this kill. After the third meal not much
more than a few bones and skin were left.
'Problem' tigers (Click on pictures for more information)
As a rule Siberian tigers are not dangerous, but when provoked or injured
by poachers they can become a serious threat to livestock and humans alike.
The Russian law enforcement agency Inspection Tiger has formed a team of specially
trained inspectors that take care of 'problem tigers'. The team tries to catch
tigers that lose their fear of humans and tranquilize them. These tigers can
be translocated to more remote areas. Tigers that have killed a human being
are destroyed as soon as possible in order to prevent further victims.
Fire fighting
The fire-fighting team shows their high-pressure air-blowers. On the right
picture the team is practising.
Children are making a road sign that warns against fires. In total 8 signs
have been put up along roads in Khasan.
A number of road signs call upon people not to shoot at leopards and tigers.
These signs were soon damaged by poachers who shot holes in them!
Education
A qualified teacher gives presentations at schools in Khasan about the Amur
leopard and nature.
Drawings made by children that participated in art contests during the annual
Khasan Wildlife Festival.Children hold up the educational booklet about the
Amur leopard that they received during the festival.
Phoenix Fund organizes an annual Tiger Day festival in Vladivostok. Children
dressed up as tigers and leopards, artists, conservationists, the Pacific
Fleet Orchestra, representatives of the local administration and even the
motor bikers club "Iron Tiger" participated in this year's procession,
which was followed by dances and other festivities in the central square.
Miscellaneous
A beached whale at the coast of Khasan. Judging from its wounds, it had probably
been attacked by killer whales. Michiel Hötte of Tigris Foundation and
Andrei Yurchenko are counting confiscated frogs.
In the winter of 1999-2000 many Black vultures died. Deer had sufficient food
because there was little snow and the harvest of nuts and acorns had been
rich. As a result few deer died, and the vultures had little to eat.The Black
vultures are now being fed by the anti-poaching team in order to prevent further
deaths due to starvation.
The Russian hunter Yuri Yankovski with 2 Amur leopards that were killed by
him in North Korea (1936). In the middle an Amur leopard that was shot in
Muju, South Korea (1959).On the right Amur leopard shot in North Kyongsang
Province, South Korea (1944).
This Amur leopard was captured on Mt. Ode, South Korea, in 1962. It died in
a South-Korean zoo without pure-bred offspring.
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