Donate
Population in the wild
Stable
IUCN status
Endangered
Scientific name
Panthera tigris altaica
Order
Carnivora
Type
Carnivora
Family
Felidae
Region
Russia, northern China and Korea
Habitat
Forests and mountains

Amur tigers are endangered

There are estimated to be between as few as 265–486 Amur tigers remaining, in the Russian Far East.

An Amur tiger runs across a snowy landscape
An Amur tiger sprinting across a snowy landscape
The largest and heaviest of the world’s big cats

Amur tigers are thought to be the palest tiger subspecies and can reach up to 250kg and three metres in length

What do Amur tigers look like?

Featuring the distinctive orange and black stripes, the Amur tiger is the largest of the subspecies of tiger. Due to its habitat it has a long coat of fur and a large ruff around its jawline.

Amur tiger facts

  • Amur tigers are the largest of the world’s big cats, as well as the heaviest.
  • Amur tigers live alone in the wild and use scent marking to keep other tigers away.
  • Female tigers will have litters of between two and six cubs.
  • Amur tigers are thought to be the palest tiger subspecies and can reach up to 250kg and three metres in length
  • By the 1940s, fewer than 40 Amur tigers were thought to remain in the wild. The Amur subspecies was saved from extinction when Russia became the first country in the world to grant its resident tigers full conservation protection. 

Where do Amur tigers live?

Amur tigers live in Russia, northern China and Korea, among dense forest and mountains. These parts of the world experience long winters so the species can often be found against a back drop of deep snow.

Learn more about how we're overcoming these threats

 A close up of an Amur leopard and a tiger sitting down with snow covered trees in the background
WildCats Conservation Alliance

WildCats Conservation Alliance

Amur tigers are Endangered
Help us save them from extinction

What do Amur tigers eat? 

Amur tigers are meat eaters, often found hunting deer, wild pigs, moose, hares and other animals that live in their habitat.

What threats do Amur tigers face? 

Two critical threats to Amur tigers are hunting and deforestation. We're working to protect Amur tigers in the wild, using camera traps to track poaching on tigers, and through building relationships with people to increase the awareness of protecting these fantastic animals.