Census takers search for Siberian tigers in Russia’s east

Wild cat: A Siberian tiger cub at a zoo in Eberswalde, eastern Germany. Their numbers in the wilds of Russia and China are dwindling. Photo: AFP

More than 2,000 people roam the wilderness to get a head-count on Siberian tigers.

With a yelp of excitement, Pavel Fomenko slammed on the brakes and jumped out of his four-wheel drive. To most eyes, little would appear extraordinary about the vista ahead – just another stretch of bumpy, snow-covered track deep inside the endless Siberian taiga. Fomenko, however, had spotted exactly what he was looking for out of the corner of his eye. He lay flat on the ground to get a close look at the faint imprint in the snow.