Four Poachers Arrested For Killing Rare Amur Tiger

Four men were arrested in the Primorye Province of Russia this week after being caught with a dead Amur tiger. The poachers were caught by an International Fund for Animal Welfare anti-poaching patrol on Monday. One of the men had been injured by the 5-year-old male tiger and was hospitalized.

Primorye Province and surrounding areas including parts of China and North Korea are believed to be home to the estimated 400 wild Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, that remain in the world.

"This crime is a wake up call. We can't save the tigers unless we combat rampant poaching, which is the single greatest threat to the survival of this species," says IFAW director Masha Vorontsova.

The poachers face a maximum of 3 years in prison and a $20,000 fine if convicted of killing the tiger.

Governments of the 13 tiger range countries will meet next week in Russia to create a strategy to help double the population of Amur tigers within 12 years. "We must make sure that talk translates into concrete action and effective, binding agreements that save tigers on the ground,” Vorontsova said of the meeting.

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