Successful FSB and police operation sees birds of prey released into the wild before illegal export to Middle East.

Only 80 big cats remain in the wild, but this alpha male has been courting three eligible females.

Dozens of captive red and sika deer were released into the wild in a bid to coax the threatened Siberian tiger - the world's largest cat - back to China.

A man has been jailed for gunning down a protected Siberian tiger in the Far Eastern Russian region of Primoye.

The rare predator was caught after weeks of wandering into a village in Russian Far East.

'Influential businessman' Evgeniy Romanov, 52, avoids jail, despite a host of other 'trophies'.

Animal charity WWF Russia in plea for help to prevent repeat of 1980s winter crisis that killed 90% of species in the region.

More than a dozen animals killed by self-appointed executioner and dumped by a river near lakeside town.

The hungry feline terrorised a village snatching and eating guard dogs in Aleksey-Nikolskoye, even forcing scared children to miss classes.

Earlier reports suggested organised gangs seek to sell gyrfalcons on the black market for as much as $50,000 each.