‘Wounded rare tiger seeks human help’ at remote border post on Russian-Chinese frontier

In an extraordinary incident a long-living endangered male Amur tiger defied efforts by Russian border guards to scare it away. 

The predator - believed to be at least 15 years old and a senior citizen of the big cat world - killed and ate two guard dogs at the frontier post with China. 

But it refused to move on, and in the words of Sergey Aramilev, general director of the Amur Tiger Centre, the animal had came to humans ‘for help’.

The border guards had noticed that while ruthlessly killing the dogs, the animal seemed to be wounded. 

‘The tiger was limping, crouching on its hind legs,’ according to one report. 

It arrived at the border post - in the Land of the Leopard National Park - on 29 December and showed no desire to leave. 

Warning gun shots failed to deter the animal. 

It’s behaviour was ‘atypical’, according to experts. 

On 31 December, the tiger appeared ‘in the open’ and by 2 January was still in the vicinity.

National park rangers made a decision to sedate and examine the tiger. 

A video shows the moment it was shot with a syringe before the sleeping tiger was loaded into a truck and moved to a rehabilitation centre for big cats in Alekseyevka village.

Aramilev said: 'The captured tiger is at least 15 years old, and maybe even older. 

‘By tiger standards, he is a deep old man, especially in the wild.’

He has lived through a period when the species has made a startling comeback from being on the brink of extinction.

Even today there are just 550 Siberian or Amur tigers living in the wild. 

But this male tiger may had played a key role in the survival of the species since when he was born there were estimated to be less than 350 tigers in the wild. 

‘Due to his age, it was increasingly difficult to hunt,’ said the expert. 

‘Despite the abundance of ungulates in these places, the tiger was forced to turn  his attention to dogs. 

‘Now we are waiting for the results of tests that will allow us to understand what to do next. 

‘But, apparently, the beast due to age will not be able to return to the wild nature. 

‘I was very pleased that the efforts of environmental organisations to educate the population were not in vain. 

‘A decade ago, using Soviet instructions, in such a situation, border guards had to use a weapon and kill the tiger. 

‘Now, to the honour of the border guards, they know that the animal that came to them for help does not pose a threat to their life and health.

‘They even sacrificed their two service dogs. 

‘We will compensate for the loss of the border guards - and provide  them with two purebred puppies.’

It is not the first time tigers have sought human help. 

In January last year an exhausted Siberian tigress came out of the wild in Khabarovsk region and lay down on the porch of a house in the village Solontsovy, blocking the door.