Winter Track Survey of the Amur Tiger (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>) in the Southwest Primorsky Province of Russia

ABSTRACT In Russia, range‐wide winter track surveys of the Amur tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica ) are conducted every ten years using a standardized methodology based on snow track measurements. The southwestern Primorsky Province of Russia is one of the survey units and the core area for the Eastern Changbaishan population of the Amur tiger. During the 2021/2022 winter track survey, we estimated 43–46 adult and subadult tigers and 12 cubs across 5400 km² of suitable habitat. This figure represents a twofold increase compared to the 2014/2015 winter survey results. This is twice the number recorded in the 2014/2015 winter survey. Minimum counts derived from camera trap data confirmed an increase from 23 to 54 adults and subadults between the two surveys – 17% higher than the track survey estimate. Since 1996, the Amur tiger population in the region has grown more than sixfold and has become a source population for the subspecies restoration in the neighboring Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces of China.