The Amur tiger recovered from fewer than 40 individuals to over 500 through one of conservation's greatest success stories, demonstrating what sustained protection can achieve.
Amur tigers living in degraded habitat with inadequate prey face chronic nutritional stress that increases risky behavior including livestock predation. Tiger-human conflict resulting in retaliatory killing was historically severe. The recovery demonstrates that welfare at the population level is achievable through sustained protection - tigers in secure habitat with adequate prey live full, natural lives free from the chronic stress of habitat insufficiency. Maintaining this recovery requires continued protection against poaching and development.