Frozen body of slain rare Amur tiger, the world’s largest cat, found in Russian Far East

A man from Plastun settlement was detained by the FSB security service after a refrigerator car with the frozen body of a young Amur tiger, and a bear’s head with seven bear paws, was found hidden at his house. 

The 64-year-old whose ID was not revealed kept the tiger for several moths  after it was shot a he sought a buyer, believe law enforcement.

Poached Amur tiger pelts, claws and paws are stopped several times a year by the FSB on the border with China where they are sought as a traditional medicine that is believed to cure chronic diseases and replenish the level of energy.

The tiger’s paws were tied with a rope. It was cut off to be sent for DNA testing, in the hope of confirming the identity of the hunter. 

The Amur - or Siberian - tiger was less than three years old; it’s not clear when and where the bears were hunted.

The Amur tiger is the world’s largest cat and is gradually recovering from the verge of extinction. Pictures: FSB Border Control

The man was detained and a criminal investigation was started. 

The preliminary amount of the damage to nature is estimated to be 2.5 million roubles ($32.000). 

The Amur tiger is the world’s largest cat and is gradually recovering from the verge of extinction.

Less than 600 adult animals - 95% of the world population - live in the Primorsky, Khabarovsk, Amur and Jewish Autonomous regions in eastern Russia. 

A severed bear’s head and seven bear paws also hidden in macabre cache at alleged poacher’s home. Pictures: FSB Border Control

Recently a male tiger called Pavlik was shot by two poachers, a year after it was  reintroduced back to nature by a group of big cat specialists.

The three-year-old male had a GPS-collar to allow scientists monitor its movements and well-being. 

On 8 September the signal went missing, prompting an immediate search by a group of wildlife protection team. 

On 23 September Pavlik’s body was found. 

It was confirmed that a poacher, or poachers, tried and failed to remove the collar after shooting the rare animal. 

Frozen body of slain rare Amur tiger, the world’s largest cat, found in Russian Far East. Video: FSB Border Control