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An endangered Siberian tiger killed a park ranger in Far East Russia’s Primorye region, officials said Wednesday.
The attack is at least the third fatal mauling by a tiger in the Far East this winter, according to the environmental news outlet Kedr.
Primorye region Governor Oleg Kozhemyako previously said tiger encounters with humans have increased in recent years due to conservation efforts boosting Siberian tiger numbers, while African swine fever has nearly wiped out the region’s wild boars — one of the predator’s primary food sources.
Kozhemyako noted that weak and sick Siberian tigers, also known as Amur tigers, were most likely to attack humans.
The 55-year-old ranger and his assistant were deep in the forest, far from populated areas, on Tuesday when the tiger “crept up and attacked one of the men from behind,” according to the Primorye region’s Natural Resources Ministry.
Wildlife officials are trying to track down the tiger using “special tools,” the ministry said in a statement.
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The victim was identified as Andrei Kovera, a former deputy in the local village council until 2023, according to a council member cited by the state-run news agency RIA Novosti. The ranger’s assistant was believed to have escaped the tiger attack.
The Udegeyskaya Legenda National Park, which is located near the attack site, said Wednesday it will halt issuing licenses to visitors pending further notice due to an “aggressive” Amur tiger.
Media outlets with purported links to Russia’s security services published videos and photos of the ranger’s mauled body, claiming the tiger had torn off the man’s arm in the attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has long championed efforts to protect the endangered species, creating a foundation for their conservation in 2013.
Governor Kozhemyako said in January that the Siberian tiger population had reached 560 this year, up from 310 in 2015.
Last month, Primorye residents, including soldiers fighting in Ukraine, appealed to Putin to protect them from tiger attacks.
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