Amur (Siberian) tigers recovered from fewer than 40 individuals in the 1940s to around 500 today. Understanding what enabled this recovery informs tiger welfare globally.
Amur tiger recovery demonstrates that effective legal protection combined with prey base management can reverse even severe population collapse. Individual tigers in the recovery population face welfare challenges from territorial competition as density increases, prey fluctuations in severe winters, and residual poaching pressure. Severe winters reduce prey availability, causing tigers to expand ranges and risk conflict with humans and livestock. Conservation medicine programs that treat injured tigers and monitor disease contribute to individual welfare alongside population management.