Amur tiger conservation depends on recovering prey species populations alongside tiger protection. The welfare of prey animals in the Amur ecosystem is part of the broader conservation welfare picture.
Amur tiger ecosystem welfare includes both the charismatic tigers and their prey species, whose welfare is interconnected in fundamental ways. Tigers require a sufficient prey base to meet their caloric needs — insufficient prey means tigers must hunt more frequently, expending more energy and facing higher injury risk. The welfare of individual deer, boar, and wapiti matters intrinsically and ecologically. Anti-poaching programs that protect prey species alongside apex predators are more effective at maintaining functional ecosystems than single-species protection. The trophic cascade effects of tiger presence — regulating prey behavior and distribution — benefit the entire ecosystem including the many species that share habitat with tigers and their prey.