"Face To Face"

"The Amur (Siberian) Tiger is found in the Far East of Russia and with the last population estimate at just over 400, it is one of the rarest cats in the world. This efficient predator is the largest cat in the world possessing immense strength, even capable of killing a grizzly bear. The future of the Amur tiger will depend entirely on hunters as 80% of its remaining habitat lies in community hunting leases.

The people in these areas must begin to link their economic well- being to the presence of tigers. These lands are now starting to participate in new TIGER FRIENDLY CERTIFICATION activities like tourist hunting of ungulates and distribution of herbs and mushrooms - which brings dollars into the communities through the presence of tigers. We are now "Face to Face" with the reality that the Siberian tiger must pay its way in the future or disappear from the forest forever. "John Banovich