Animal rescuers have been devastated to learn a giant tiger they released back in to the wild a year ago has been butchered by poachers.
Male big cat Pavlik – an Amur tiger, which is one of the largest and most endangered tiger in the world – had been rescued as a cub and reared to survive in the wild.
But the animal – also known as a Siberian tiger – was shot dead by poachers in eastern Russia near the Chinese border. It has been reported the big cat’s head and paws were cut off – likely to trade as parts for Chinese medicine or ask an aphrodisiac.Pavlov was only one of around 300 male riders left alive in their natural habitat in eastern Russia.His death was discovered when the GPS signal from his collar cut out.Governor of Amur region.
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