Attacks by Amur tigers on humans in Siberia have reached their deadliest level in decades, as African swine fever decimates the wild boar population that forms the big cats' primary prey. The disease, which is almost always fatal to pigs, has driven hungry tigers out of forests and into villages in Russia's far east.
In recent months, tigers have snatched guard dogs, attacked livestock, and killed at least two people. In January, an ice fisher was mauled and dragged away, weeks after a forester was killed. In March, another man was partly eaten. The spike in attacks has led to a surge in tiger killings, with at least 17 Amur tigers killed and 27 captured between October 2024 and September 2025. Many captured cats were found emaciated or injured.
African swine fever likely entered Russia from China, where an outbreak began in 2018. Unrestricted poaching of deer and increased logging have compounded the food shortage. Some regions have seen a 1,000% increase in human-tiger conflict incidents. Experts warn the situation is an ecological disaster, with knock-on effects for ecosystems and other species.
Speaking out about the conflicts is risky, as tiger conservation has become politicised under President Vladimir Putin, who championed Amur tiger recovery efforts. Official figures claim around 750 tigers now live in the wild, up from 40 in the 1940s, but many conservationists suspect the true number is far lower and that the big cats are in greater trouble than authorities admit.
