Conservationists with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) are setting camouflaged camera traps in Russia to capture images of park trespassers and poachers.

Camera trap catches intruders in Lazovsky Nature Reserve. (Photo: Zoological Society of London)

Thirty camera traps have been set in two Russian far east protected areas: Lazovsky Nature Reserve and Zov Tigra National Park, home to at most twenty Amur tigers.

Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are down to around 360 animals and listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. Poaching for traditional Chinese medicine remains the most pressing concern but the Amur is also imperiled by habitat loss, prey decline, low genetic diversity, and human-tiger conflict.

Poached Amur tiger. (Photo: ZSL)

    Scientists believe poachers may have killed as many as seven tigers in the last five years. In the last twelve months authorities have confiscated tiger parts in three different operations.

    In 2010 Russia hosted a tiger summit with all 13 tiger range countries. The meeting ended with an ambitious pledged to double the number of wild tigers in the world by 2022. Amur tigers represent around 10 percent of the total wild population. Already three tiger subspecies have vanished forever.

    Source: Mongabay