0:00:02 > 0:00:03Deep in the frozen forests of Russia
0:00:03 > 0:00:05lives a predator.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08It's one of the world's rarest animals -
0:00:08 > 0:00:11the Siberian tiger.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13He's right in there. Right there.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Less than 300 metres.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Only a handful of pioneering scientists
0:00:19 > 0:00:22have ever seen one in the wild.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28These Russians are tough, and they know this place, and they're fast.
0:00:28 > 0:00:34Now, an international team are on the trail of this elusive big cat.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Clearly, you're looking at a Siberian tiger.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43They're working in one of the planet's coldest places.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49This is a lawless wilderness...
0:00:49 > 0:00:51It's an illegal rifle.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56..where tiger and man compete to survive.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59I'm Liz Bonnin. I'm trying to uncover
0:00:59 > 0:01:04the hidden world of this remarkable animal for the first time.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Revealing the untold story of Siberia's snow tigers.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37I've studied Bengal tigers in India and Nepal.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38But the Siberian tiger,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41and its habitat here in the Russian Far East,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43are completely new to me.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50Siberian tigers once ranged across Northern Asia.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Now the remaining few live here,
0:01:54 > 0:01:55in the Russian Far East.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03Scientists think there are now less than 350 in the wild.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10I'm part of a research team trying to document the lives
0:02:10 > 0:02:12of individual Siberian tigers.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17They roam over vast areas of forest.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23We've been on the trail of a few important tigers...
0:02:24 > 0:02:26..but we discovered a problem.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29In a vital stronghold,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32we found male tigers...
0:02:34 > 0:02:36..but no breeding females.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40We began the hunt for female tigers...
0:02:42 > 0:02:46..but our mission was interrupted by tragic circumstances.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Three Siberian tiger cubs lost their mother.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Two of the orphan cubs were saved.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Wow, a tiger!
0:03:03 > 0:03:06But the third was found with only hours to live.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10He's struggling a bit. He's struggling. Watch out!
0:03:13 > 0:03:16This is great, this is what we wanted, to get this guy.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35The cub is so weak, they need to act fast to save him.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50With no clinic nearby, they take him to a house in a local village.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56A bedroom becomes a makeshift surgery.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Dr Dale Miquelle has been working with Siberian tigers
0:04:06 > 0:04:08for over 20 years.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14He's dehydrated, so we just want to get a drip in
0:04:14 > 0:04:16until we get some fluids back into him. It'll also help
0:04:16 > 0:04:18warm him up, to get some warm fluids into him,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20just to get him rehydrated, basically.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Cameraman Max Hug Williams
0:04:23 > 0:04:27tracked this cub with rangers for over a week.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30When we first came up here,
0:04:30 > 0:04:32I didn't really know what to expect.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34But following these guys around,
0:04:34 > 0:04:35it's just unbelievable.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38They literally give up everything for this species.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41You get pretty choked up when you see these guys
0:04:41 > 0:04:43marching through the forest, and you think, you know,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46they're like something out of the military
0:04:46 > 0:04:50but then, deep down, they're doing all of this for a tiger.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57It's a problem because his pulse is really weak.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03The cub is so dehydrated, they can't use a drip.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- So it's not in the vein.- No.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Now we're trying to warm him up with a hot water bottle here.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Heart is racing, but there's not good circulation.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29So this animal is fighting for its life right now.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44(The guys are frantically trying to get some fluids in because he's so dehydrated.)
0:05:47 > 0:05:48His temperature's gone up a lot.
0:05:48 > 0:05:54It was 95.5 and now it's 99.2,
0:05:54 > 0:05:55so in the last half hour,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58it's gone up four degrees.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09He's coming round! He's coming round!
0:06:09 > 0:06:11He's waking up from the anaesthetic,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14but it's still uncertain if he'll survive.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18The team have done all they can, for now.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26While we wait to find out his fate,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29we return to our main mission.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31The reason we've come to Russia.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35We're here to find out
0:06:35 > 0:06:37what Siberian tigers need,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40if they're to have a future in the wild.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48The lack of breeding females here is a major problem
0:06:48 > 0:06:50and something that Dale is concerned about.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55He's collaborating with Dr Victor Lukarevsky,
0:06:55 > 0:07:00who's been studying tigers in the crucial Ussuriysk Reserve.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07It's likely this tiger's right on this, this bear that he dragged off.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Of the remaining Siberian tigers,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14they believe only 100 are females of breeding age.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23Reserves like Ussuriysk are essential tiger nurseries.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29These protected areas have become havens for tigers
0:07:29 > 0:07:31to be able to reproduce in safety,
0:07:31 > 0:07:36and produce as many tiger cubs as they can, as often as they can.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39And then those tiger cubs are dispersed
0:07:39 > 0:07:44into the larger and less safe habitat.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49The problem is, Ussuriysk only has
0:07:49 > 0:07:51one resident female, Serga,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and she's too old to breed.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59Without a fertile female, the male tigers will leave,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01and the reserve's population will collapse.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06But Victor has found something that gives us hope.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Photographs from camera traps
0:08:09 > 0:08:13can be used to identify individuals.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Tiger stripes are like fingerprints, unique to each animal.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21This photograph has just been analysed and it's not Serga.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24It's her daughter.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27- This is Princess. - Oh, my gosh, look at that.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30This is 22 November last year.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- So, 22nd November?- 22nd, yes.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34So two months ago, basically.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36It's two or three months ago. So before that,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40you hadn't had footage of Princess for a year, is that right?
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Yes. A year, we have no information from her
0:08:44 > 0:08:48and I thought that she is...
0:08:48 > 0:08:52She's poached. She's killed. So this is really great news!
0:08:52 > 0:08:54And whereabouts is this?
0:08:54 > 0:08:55It is inside of the protected area.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58- So it's in the reserve. - Inside Ussuriysk.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00- But she still overlapped with Serga, her mother.- Yes, yes.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05- So there's some overlap. - Yes, yes. Half, er, area.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- Half her area overlaps with her mother?- Half of it?!
0:09:07 > 0:09:10OK, that's bigger than I thought. OK. Look, guys, where do we start?
0:09:10 > 0:09:12- Everywhere!- Doesn't matter.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Which is why it's best for us to split up, to try and maximise
0:09:15 > 0:09:18the chances of finding her as soon as possible, yeah?
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- Great stuff, though! Great image. Good news.- That's a great find.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25This news, for me, that was best news for the last year!
0:09:25 > 0:09:26Absolutely, it's true.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33Princess holds the key to the future of the Ussuriysk tigers.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36But apart from this one photograph,
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Victor has no evidence that she's still in the reserve.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42She's vanished.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Now our team have just three weeks to try to find her
0:09:47 > 0:09:49before we have to leave.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56So we split up to search the area where she was last caught on camera.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06And so if Princess is here, it's really important to find out
0:10:06 > 0:10:10what condition she's in, how often she uses this protected area,
0:10:10 > 0:10:15and if there's even the slightest chance she might be pregnant.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25So about four days ago, we had a warm front come through,
0:10:25 > 0:10:30rain came down and, amazingly, er, had a very warm period.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34A tiger walked through here while there was wet, wet,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36basically a slush. And so, it's amazing,
0:10:36 > 0:10:40but you can actually get down and uncover...
0:10:40 > 0:10:42almost like dinosaur tracks,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45this track of a male walking down
0:10:45 > 0:10:47this road in the reserve.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50They're just spectacular to see.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Siberian tigers prefer to use roads,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56rather than walk in deep snow.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59It helps them to conserve energy in winter.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06I'm setting camera traps, which are triggered by movement.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12I'm aiming the cameras at the only road in Ussuriysk Reserve.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17If Princess is still here, there's a good chance she'll walk past them.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Tigresses will often donate a portion of their home range
0:11:30 > 0:11:31to their female offspring.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34What they're trying to do is ensure that their daughters have
0:11:34 > 0:11:38a high probability of success in raising their own young.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42And so in a situation like here, we've got Princess,
0:11:42 > 0:11:47who is using part of her mother's home range and, hopefully,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51acquiring the benefits that her mother had in that same area.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55In other words, high densities of prey, a good knowledge of that area,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59and also increasing the success in terms of rearing young.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Winter is too long in Russia.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10It's six, seven months per year, it is too long.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16But in the snow, you can collect a lot of data.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21In previous years, Victor has managed to capture
0:12:21 > 0:12:23some of the Siberian tigers in Ussuriysk,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26to fit them with tracking collars.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32If he's close enough, these collars help him to locate the animals.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Princess was fitted with a collar,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42but Victor hasn't picked up her signal for over 18 months.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It's working...
0:12:55 > 0:13:00He's not far, I think maybe half a kilometre,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02maybe it's outside of the...
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Wait...
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Victor has found the signal of a large male.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12He's a little too close for comfort.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18And these tracks lead right past one of our cameras.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Shall we have a look at the footage?
0:13:22 > 0:13:27This is really interesting because the tracks look fresh.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- Dale!- It's Dale.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32This is great, we split up to look for Princess
0:13:32 > 0:13:34and what do we get on camera traps?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Dale! So Dale triggered it.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Oh!
0:13:42 > 0:13:44With a collar. With a collar.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- Who is that? Is that Serga? - It is Luke. No, no, it is Luke.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51How soon after Dale, walking down the road by himself?
0:14:03 > 0:14:0720 minutes ago, Luke was going that way. 20 minutes ago.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10I hope everything is well.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12No, Dale is fine.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15- I hope. - Dale was going down this way.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- The tiger was going up this way. - But first, there was...- Don't.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Victor, don't. Let's go find Dale.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Let's just go find Dale now, please.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Tigers hunt at dusk.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29We had planned to collect Dale before sunset,
0:14:29 > 0:14:30but we've got a problem.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Go!
0:14:36 > 0:14:38We're just on our way to find Dale and, of course,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40as luck would have it, we get stuck in the snow.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It happens all the time, but tonight is not the night
0:14:43 > 0:14:47we want it to happen. So we're just getting Victor to pull us out
0:14:47 > 0:14:50and then we're going to try and make sure Dale's OK.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56The darker it gets, the more worried we are about Dale.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01But thankfully, we find him.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Dale!
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- Liz.- We have to show you something, come with me.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11- Seriously, I'm so glad to see you. - I'm glad to see you, too.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13- Let me just show you something. - All right, great.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Dale has rarely been so close to a tiger.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23I was too early! I should have waited 20 minutes,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- we would have met!- Oh, my gosh! - Dale, it is OK. It is very well.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30So first of all, me and Victor were like, "Oh, there's Dale.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34"Oh, tiger! Yay, tiger!" And then we were like, "Oh, my gosh, Dale!"
0:15:36 > 0:15:37Look at you, look at you!
0:15:37 > 0:15:41- Strolling, not a bother in the world!- No problems at all.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Listen, I mean, day one looking for Princess,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45no Princess, but we know Luke's in the area.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48And, who knows? Possibly, he's here because of Princess.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49- It could be a possibility. - We will see.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51It's a result, you're safe and sound.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Healthy result, and he's safe and sound.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55He's really healthy and safe and sound.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59- Right, dinner, guys, and a drink to celebrate, I reckon. Yeah?- Great.
0:15:59 > 0:16:05This young male tiger could be looking for a mate,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07but we still haven't found any females.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Next morning, we head back into the reserve
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and Dale discovers just how close he came to meeting Luke.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Yeah, so he came down to here and turned around and went back.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37And me, standing on the embankment there, 20, 30 yards away,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39turned around and ran back.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42I never even saw him, didn't hear him. Just missed him.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Huh!
0:16:52 > 0:16:53He stopped here, too.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55He may have heard me walking down the road.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57I don't know, it's hard to tell,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00but he may have heard something and still continued down.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03He may have thought I was a potential prey at that time,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05but he changed his mind once he got down there.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Said, "I don't want any of that!"
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Meanwhile, Victor and I
0:17:10 > 0:17:13follow Luke's tracks forward to see where he went.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20Male tigers travel huge distances patrolling their territory
0:17:20 > 0:17:25and looking for mates. Luke could lead us to Princess.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26Had a bit of a rest.
0:17:26 > 0:17:32Tiger beds here are so much more telling than those in India.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34I mean, you always see indentations,
0:17:34 > 0:17:39but the snow really clearly makes out the shape of the tiger.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42You can just visualise a tiger much more easily.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Is it possible that he came off the road, he lay down,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53because we were on the road, making so much noise
0:17:53 > 0:17:54looking at the camera trap footage?
0:17:54 > 0:17:59Yes, he... Maybe he listens the car.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03So while we were watching him on the camera trap, he was watching us!
0:18:03 > 0:18:06But he was watching, yes.
0:18:06 > 0:18:12- Do you remember, he look and turn back?- Yeah.- And go.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13He was so close to us.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Dale wasn't the only one who had a close encounter with a tiger.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32Scientists can spend their entire careers studying Siberian tigers
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and never see one in the wild.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39To help us locate Princess,
0:18:39 > 0:18:44we're deploying 30 state-of-the-art video camera traps.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Very little footage has ever been filmed of wild Siberian tigers.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51These cameras could help us capture
0:18:51 > 0:18:53their unseen lives for the first time.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56So, these pictures provide
0:18:56 > 0:19:00a means of putting a face to these animals, and understanding them
0:19:00 > 0:19:04more as personalities than as mysterious animals.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06It just provides an opportunity to better understand
0:19:06 > 0:19:11these individuals as characters and not as dangerous, mysterious beasts.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16If we're lucky, our cameras will find Princess.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21I'll stay in Ussuriysk helping Victor,
0:19:21 > 0:19:25while Dale and wildlife cameraman Max are heading north.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36For over 20 years, Dale has lived in Siberia,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39working for the Wildlife Conservation Society.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45His main research site is 500 miles away, in the Sikhote-Alin Reserve.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48It's a 12-hour road trip.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54Dale has brought Max along to try to film another important female tiger.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Sikhote-Alin lies on the coast of the Sea of Japan,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05near the small town of Terney.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09DOG BARKS
0:20:13 > 0:20:17People here live with tigers on their doorstep.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Dale wants Max to track down
0:20:24 > 0:20:27a particular female tiger he's concerned about.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31So this is Varvarra here, is it? When did you take this shot?
0:20:31 > 0:20:32In July. End of July.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35And when did you first collar her, then, was that...?
0:20:35 > 0:20:39So we collared her a year ago, in September.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44And so she's been on the air for about 14 months.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47She's a young female.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50When we captured her, she hadn't given birth.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53But for the last couple of months, she's been concentrated in one area
0:20:53 > 0:20:56and we think that she has cubs now.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00She's quite small there. So she's, you're saying, how old?
0:21:00 > 0:21:01She's probably three,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03no more than four years old.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05If she has cubs now,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07it's definitely her first cubs.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09- This is August.- This is August.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Wow, look at that. Wow! It's like a jungle in the summer, isn't it?
0:21:12 > 0:21:14It's such a different environment now.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Yeah, it looks so stark and bleak right now
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- and it's like a jungle in the summer time.- Unbelievable.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21We know where she was a few days ago
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and we need to get out there before another snowfall comes.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Tiger numbers in Sikhote-Alin
0:21:29 > 0:21:32have been decimated by poachers and disease.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38They're at their lowest for 35 years.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Varvarra is the reserve's last-known female.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49Her recent movements suggest she might have cubs.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51That's what they need to confirm.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Max is working with Dale's colleagues, Sveta and Kolya,
0:21:58 > 0:21:59to track her.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05To catch up with Varvarra, they'll need to travel light.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09They don't carry guns for protection, only flares.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Well, I suppose if we come face to face with a tiger,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15we've got to light ourselves up like a Christmas tree,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17otherwise we could be in a bit of trouble!
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Using the signal from Varvarra's collar, they've picked up her trail.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40After walking for six hours, they're ten miles from the nearest road.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45We've just had a crow go overhead,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49which is normally a very good sign that you're close to a kill.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53The guys are saying that Varvarra is about 300 to 500 metres away.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57But this telemetry's not an exact science.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00These are just bearings we try to plot onto a map.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03So she could be very, very close indeed.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13The trackers take another reading, and they're in for a shock.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19Varvarra, now, they think, is literally 200 metres that way.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23But it brings it home how quickly things can change here.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26One minute, we were strolling along, and the next minute,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28we're 200 metres, probably, from a tiger.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31We've got these flares out and I'm assured that
0:23:31 > 0:23:35it'll scare a tiger off, but I'm not quite convinced.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Something in the back of my mind just keeps saying
0:23:37 > 0:23:40we're slightly crazy, getting within 200 metres of a cat
0:23:40 > 0:23:44which could get here in a matter of seconds if it wanted to.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48But apparently, these are going to keep anything at bay.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Surprising a Siberian tiger would be a bad move,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54especially if she has cubs.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59They soon discover why Varvarra is in the area.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Whoa! Look at that!
0:24:02 > 0:24:05- Yes.- So she's made this kill?- Yes.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07And how old do you think?
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- Probably a week.- A week old?- Yeah.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Look at the size of it!
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- So the tiger took that down?- Yeah.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18My God!
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Camera traps at the kill site could record Varvarra
0:24:22 > 0:24:27if she returns to eat and help to reveal whether she has cubs.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36They also set cameras along trails and by known scent-marking trees.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42If Varvarra has cubs, and Max can film her,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45it could be a rare insight into Siberian tiger maternal behaviour.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51After a few days, the camera traps deliver
0:24:51 > 0:24:54our first glimpse of Varvarra.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Despite the fact that it makes no noise,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02she's clearly aware of the camera.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09She's nervous, and there's no sign of any cubs.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Down south, in Ussuriysk, Victor and I are still searching for Princess.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24She hasn't been seen for three months.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31In previous years,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Victor has often found signs of her
0:25:33 > 0:25:36outside the safety of the protected area.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Today, we're going beyond the reserve's borders
0:25:41 > 0:25:42to try to find her.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Whoa!
0:25:52 > 0:25:55So normally, we use Victor's trucks to go into the reserve,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57but today, we're going further afield
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and so we need something a little bit bigger.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Can I even get up here? Oof!
0:26:07 > 0:26:09You've got to come and see this!
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Dobriy den'. Meenya savoot Liz.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14- Alexis.- Alexis. Dobriy den'.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16- Roma.- Roma. Nice to meet you.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17Dobriy den'.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19This place is epic!
0:26:19 > 0:26:21There's even a movie on this, it's brilliant!
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Yeah, I'm moving in.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40These six-wheel-drive trucks transport workers
0:26:40 > 0:26:43into the most inaccessible parts of the forest.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48They're designed to withstand the most extreme conditions,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51the kind of vehicle you'd only find in Siberia!
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Victor is searching for Princess' signal.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Each tiger collar has a unique frequency.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21But these signals rarely reach more than one mile.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26And we don't even know if she's alive.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Just to get one glimpse, you know, just a flash of orange,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37that would be quite something.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Let's see other place, other area,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45but it's difficult now to find her.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52A short drive from the reserve,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54we find a scar cutting through the forest.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05The trees have been cleared to make way for a gas pipeline.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07A service road runs alongside it.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Why is this access road such a problem?
0:28:13 > 0:28:17It is the main problem for the wildlife
0:28:17 > 0:28:20because it make very accessible
0:28:20 > 0:28:25for the poacher, who can come here to hunt the different animal.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27We're talking about an access road
0:28:27 > 0:28:29that is an easy way for poachers to get into
0:28:29 > 0:28:32what was before an inaccessible forest.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34How long does this road go on for?
0:28:34 > 0:28:38About 760 kilometres.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43760 kilometres long. And that's only part of the entire gas line.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Victor, how does this make you feel?
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Can I ask you, what do you feel
0:28:59 > 0:29:04when you have seen a piece of art destroyed?
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Now, obviously, it's important to bring gas to people.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15- I know you're not saying that it shouldn't be done.- Of course.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17But what's the solution, Victor,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21when you have to bring the gas down to Vladivostok from Siberia?
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Do you think there's a better way of doing this?
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Of course, we can use existing infrastructure,
0:29:26 > 0:29:28outside of the forest.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33So what do you, as conservationists, do to try and protect the forest
0:29:33 > 0:29:35when you've got something like this
0:29:35 > 0:29:39carving its way though 800 kilometres of tiger habitat?
0:29:39 > 0:29:44The solution is to increase the number of rangers,
0:29:44 > 0:29:51to re-cultivate all road and to close such a road.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55The damage here is bad,
0:29:55 > 0:29:59but the service road is the real threat to the tigers.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03It's only two-and-a-half miles from the border of the Ussuriysk Reserve,
0:30:03 > 0:30:08giving hunters easy access to the heart of the forest.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14If Princess is spending time here, outside the reserve, she's at risk.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26Back up north, in the Sikhote-Alin Reserve, Max and the trackers
0:30:26 > 0:30:31are still on the trail of Varvarra, in the hope that she has cubs.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38Very little is known about how Siberian tigers raise their young.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41But we do know that they can give birth any time of the year,
0:30:41 > 0:30:43even in the dead of winter.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Then they find an important clue.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54(Wow, look at that. What's happened here, Sveta?)
0:30:55 > 0:31:02(It looks like cubs stayed here and played for some time.)
0:31:03 > 0:31:07(Well, at last, we exactly know that Varvarra has cubs.)
0:31:08 > 0:31:13(And we, at last, see cubs' tracks, it's very good news.)
0:31:18 > 0:31:21(Well, it's difficult to say, but it looks like more than one cub.)
0:31:21 > 0:31:22(Maybe two.)
0:31:22 > 0:31:23(That's good news!)
0:31:23 > 0:31:28(Maybe three, maybe four! But I think two or three maybe.)
0:31:28 > 0:31:29(We'll see.)
0:31:37 > 0:31:42(Varvarra lay here with cubs, because there's no snow over here.)
0:31:44 > 0:31:46(So we can imagine how it was.)
0:31:46 > 0:31:48(Nice!)
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Here is one,
0:31:58 > 0:31:59two,
0:31:59 > 0:32:01and three.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05We know that not two, three or four.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07- Three or four.- Yeah.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10That's incredible, though. Either way, it's good news.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Yes, it's very good news!
0:32:18 > 0:32:23The cubs played here and tried to go inside this tree.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Sveta keeps saying how they have been playing on this tree,
0:32:27 > 0:32:29playing on that tree.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32I just wish I was here to see them bounding around in the snow.
0:32:36 > 0:32:37You can see on this tree...
0:32:37 > 0:32:39they've run up there,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41probably jumped off there.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49Sveta's also found the remains of a deer.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54So, we finally found the kill.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58So it looks like she's feeding her cubs well.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00I'm sure, yes, she's a good mum.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Her cubs are very fat.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07- Are they?- I think!
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Dale's not going to believe it!
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Max and the team
0:33:17 > 0:33:22have proof that Varvarra has had her very first litter.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25It's fantastic news for the Sikhote-Alin Reserve.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35Max is now hoping that his camera traps
0:33:35 > 0:33:38have captured Varvarra and her cubs.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40So I want to show you some of the results,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42the fruits of your labour, as you say.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45So, this was one of the first animals we saw,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48which is a full-frame sika dear.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53We got some night shots, too.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55I can show you a few critters walking though.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- Oh, wow! A lynx, just creeping in there.- A Lynx showed up.
0:34:02 > 0:34:03This is interesting, too,
0:34:03 > 0:34:05because I think it's the same animal,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08and look at this, he scent-marks right on that.
0:34:13 > 0:34:14And then...
0:34:14 > 0:34:17just to keep that momentum going, we got another animal walk though.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20Oh, amazing! Is that Varvarra?
0:34:20 > 0:34:22No, it's not, it's a male,
0:34:22 > 0:34:23it's a male. But watch, watch!
0:34:23 > 0:34:25He walks to the edge of frame
0:34:25 > 0:34:27and then he does a scrape.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29He's doing a scrape right now.
0:34:29 > 0:34:30Wow! Look at that.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40So we got him, which is pretty neat,
0:34:40 > 0:34:41and we didn't really expect it.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47The cameras have captured other animals scavenging Varvarra's kill.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Sable, a type of weasel, eat whatever they find.
0:34:56 > 0:34:57Eagles...
0:34:58 > 0:35:03..and even wild boar benefit from tiger kills in winter.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10And then Varvarra makes her entrance.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Ah, look at that. Daytime, as well!
0:35:22 > 0:35:23Yeah, she looks great.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26But look how cautious she is. She's smelling where you guys were.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33She still looks quite young. I mean, she is a first-time mum.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36She is... She does look young, doesn't she?
0:35:36 > 0:35:38- But she's in good shape. - Great shape.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45And the other camera we had here, don't tell me that didn't fire!
0:35:45 > 0:35:46Hang on.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56To see the markings like that,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59- it's incredible, isn't it? - Yeah, it's nice.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01But where are the cubs? I mean, she's...
0:36:01 > 0:36:04We didn't actually get to the site where the cubs were stashed
0:36:04 > 0:36:07and she didn't bring them down through here, unfortunately,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09so we missed that opportunity.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17Collectively, with the radio collar, the camera traps
0:36:17 > 0:36:20and these videos, we've gotten a much better understanding
0:36:20 > 0:36:24of the way mothers interact and take care of their cubs.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Up until this point, we had always thought that females
0:36:29 > 0:36:33would leave their cubs at a kill site and then go off hunting,
0:36:33 > 0:36:34then go back to the kill site,
0:36:34 > 0:36:36get the cubs and bring them to the new kill.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38But we've seen in this video,
0:36:38 > 0:36:40they don't leave their cubs
0:36:40 > 0:36:41at the kills, and that makes sense,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43because that's a dangerous spot.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45We've seen, through these camera traps,
0:36:45 > 0:36:47all these other carnivores coming through.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Lynx and sable and even wild boar coming in,
0:36:50 > 0:36:52so that's a dangerous place to leave your cubs.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55So she takes them off some place, and we didn't really realise that
0:36:55 > 0:36:57until we started getting some of this footage.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00The Siberian tiger
0:37:00 > 0:37:03is one of the world's most endangered animals.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06Footage like this is invaluable.
0:37:10 > 0:37:15Only by studying this remarkable animal's natural behaviour
0:37:15 > 0:37:18can scientists learn how to protect it.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22And while we haven't seen the cubs,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25it looks like Varvarra has got over her camera shyness.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Down south in Ussuriysk,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46there's still no sign of Princess.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50In the past, she has used an area
0:37:50 > 0:37:52outside of the reserve
0:37:52 > 0:37:53and that makes her vulnerable.
0:37:57 > 0:38:0280% of all Siberian tiger deaths are caused by man.
0:38:04 > 0:38:05But there are a few Russians
0:38:05 > 0:38:08who dedicate their lives to protecting them.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13One of those is Roma Kozhishev, an ex-boxer
0:38:13 > 0:38:15and now an anti-poaching inspector.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Roma and just one other colleague
0:38:20 > 0:38:24monitor 40,000 square miles of forest.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Dale and I are joining Roma on patrol,
0:38:26 > 0:38:31to see first-hand the dangers tigers face from humans.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43OK. Stop! Stop!
0:38:43 > 0:38:46DOGS BARK
0:38:56 > 0:38:58So he's telling him to contain his dogs.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00There's a lot of dogs here, isn't there?
0:39:00 > 0:39:02There are a heck of a lot of dogs!
0:39:07 > 0:39:10Is that... That's an illegal rifle.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14These raids are routine for Roma,
0:39:14 > 0:39:16but they can quickly become dangerous.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22Roma's been attacked many times by poachers while on patrol.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29As well as the gun, he's found bullets for shooting big game.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32THEY SPEAK IN RUSSIAN
0:39:36 > 0:39:38So we've actually deployed one of our crew
0:39:38 > 0:39:41to just follow that lot with Roma,
0:39:41 > 0:39:44so he can cite them and write up the paperwork, et cetera.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46But he's also asked us to stay here,
0:39:46 > 0:39:49in case any of the rest of the guys try and hide anything.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51DOGS BARK
0:40:05 > 0:40:08For people living in poverty, the forest provides meat,
0:40:08 > 0:40:13and that means that humans here are in direct competition with tigers.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18'These guys are out here working every day, all day, right?
0:40:18 > 0:40:21'They're driving back and forth.'
0:40:21 > 0:40:23They're going to have opportunities.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25And for them, it's fresh meat,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27and free, and free.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30You can understand it from their point of view, as well.
0:40:30 > 0:40:31THEY SPEAK RUSSIAN
0:40:36 > 0:40:40OK, so Roma is writing up the protocol citation.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45It's a long process, basically, but the gun is illegal.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48He isn't registered with the local hunting organisation,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51which he should be, and he doesn't have a hunting licence.
0:40:51 > 0:40:57So they will confiscate the gun and turn it over to the police.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:41:02 > 0:41:05So he basically splits people into two groups.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08There's professional poachers, who go out and kill animals
0:41:08 > 0:41:11and just sell the meat, and he doesn't have any tolerance
0:41:11 > 0:41:14for those people, basically. But there's lots of people
0:41:14 > 0:41:16who are illegally hunting
0:41:16 > 0:41:17to feed their families.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19He says it's really hard, you know,
0:41:19 > 0:41:22to not sympathise with them.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24What's the hardest part of Roma's job?
0:41:24 > 0:41:32THEY SPEAK RUSSIAN
0:41:38 > 0:41:41It's really hard to be living in one place for a long time,
0:41:41 > 0:41:43and the kind of people that are poachers
0:41:43 > 0:41:46can sometimes have people that you had good relationships with
0:41:46 > 0:41:49and then found out that they are also poachers,
0:41:49 > 0:41:53so it's psychologically really difficult to deal with all that,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56to live in a small community and maintain relationships with people.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00It's unbelievable. I can't believe how difficult it must be for him
0:42:00 > 0:42:02and how much he must care to keep going,
0:42:02 > 0:42:06because it alienates him from his home and people around him.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10This man, I have so much respect for what he does
0:42:10 > 0:42:13- and continues to do, it's wonderful. - It's not an easy life...
0:42:13 > 0:42:16- It really isn't. - ..but he's committed to it.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21Roma's commitment to saving tigers is inspirational.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25But he's just one man, with a vast area to police.
0:42:28 > 0:42:33Tigers are prized for their fur, bones and body parts,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36used in traditional Chinese medicine.
0:42:36 > 0:42:41A single tiger can sell for 50,000 dollars.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45Ussuriysk Reserve is only 50 miles from the Chinese border.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51This footage was filmed by police near Ussuriysk,
0:42:51 > 0:42:53while we were working in the reserve.
0:42:54 > 0:43:00In a single raid last year, they seized the remains of eight tigers.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05That's two percent of the wild Siberian tiger population
0:43:05 > 0:43:06eradicated in one hit.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28The tigers here face such danger,
0:43:28 > 0:43:32I'm beginning to doubt we'll ever find Princess.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42There are so many things to think about to save the tiger.
0:43:42 > 0:43:48Hunting, different organisations arguing, planning, management.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Do you ever want to just...
0:43:51 > 0:43:53"It's too complicated, I give up"?
0:43:53 > 0:43:56No, no, no, no, no. Liz...
0:43:56 > 0:44:01Many times, I have thinking about this
0:44:01 > 0:44:04but, for me, it is not my way.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07I don't know about China,
0:44:07 > 0:44:11about India, about everybody.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15In Russia, I am absolutely convinced
0:44:15 > 0:44:17that we can save the tiger.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21We can save the tiger for...forever.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24- You're sure? - I'm absolutely convinced!
0:44:25 > 0:44:29- How do you change that, Victor? - Step by step.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34- You have patience for that? - It is impossible to be patient.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38'Victor has...'
0:44:38 > 0:44:41such fire in his belly about this place.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43There's not a moment that goes by
0:44:43 > 0:44:45that he's not thinking about the tiger,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48listening for it, looking for its signs.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51I mean, his passion borders on an obsession, really.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55And he's become a massive part of my journey here,
0:44:55 > 0:44:56not only because he's taught me
0:44:56 > 0:44:59so much about Siberian tiger conservation,
0:44:59 > 0:45:02but also because he's taught me what it means
0:45:02 > 0:45:08to be brave and determined and resilient against such odds.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12And, you know, he doesn't get anything out of it,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15other than the satisfaction of knowing
0:45:15 > 0:45:17that he is working as hard as he can
0:45:17 > 0:45:21because he believes that the tiger needs to be saved.
0:45:21 > 0:45:26And I do think that as long as there are people like Victor out here,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29then, yeah, there is hope. There has to be hope.
0:45:36 > 0:45:41One hope is that Siberian tiger cubs, orphaned by poaching,
0:45:41 > 0:45:43could be returned to the wild.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47Our three rescued cubs have been reunited
0:45:47 > 0:45:50at this rehabilitation centre near Ussuriysk,
0:45:50 > 0:45:53run by the Severtsov Institute.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57Today, they're being released into an outdoor enclosure,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00where they can learn to become independent.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05Max has been following the cubs from the beginning.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07We've got these special remote cameras
0:46:07 > 0:46:10and we're rigging up the enclosure for the cubs.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13From now on, they can't have any human interaction at all
0:46:13 > 0:46:16if they're going to be released as wild tigers.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19So we've got to set up these cameras, drop way back, and then,
0:46:19 > 0:46:22hopefully, we'll get a glimpse of them coming out for the first time.
0:46:33 > 0:46:38The team need to see how the cubs are recovering from their ordeal.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42The last time Max saw them, one of the cubs was in critical condition.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47The cameras will allow the scientists
0:46:47 > 0:46:51to observe the cubs from a cabin 300 feet away.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19As night falls, the cubs still haven't emerged from the hut.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25Max settles in to keep watch.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30(I haven't really seen any activity yet.)
0:47:30 > 0:47:36(We all thought the cubs would come out all three of them together.)
0:47:36 > 0:47:40(But it's nearly midnight now and we've got the infrared lights up,)
0:47:40 > 0:47:44(but we haven't seen a single sign of any cubs.)
0:47:44 > 0:47:47(It might take a few days,)
0:47:47 > 0:47:50(or at least a couple of nights before they even come out.)
0:47:53 > 0:47:57But to his surprise, there's movement in the enclosure.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00(Look at him. Amazing!)
0:48:00 > 0:48:04It's the third cub. The one who almost died.
0:48:04 > 0:48:05(Bloody hell, they've grown!)
0:48:07 > 0:48:08(He's looking so healthy.)
0:48:08 > 0:48:10(Wow!)
0:48:10 > 0:48:11(Look at that!)
0:48:13 > 0:48:17(They've been inside that hut for so long.)
0:48:17 > 0:48:22(It's a real safe haven for them, so it's a massive leap for them,)
0:48:22 > 0:48:24(but it's just the start of the journey,)
0:48:24 > 0:48:27(a long, long journey of becoming a tiger again.)
0:48:29 > 0:48:32(I mean, I really just want to come back and see them in the day.)
0:48:45 > 0:48:47By the next morning,
0:48:47 > 0:48:49all three cubs are out.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52Over the next 12 months,
0:48:52 > 0:48:54this space will be enlarged
0:48:54 > 0:48:56and live prey will be released,
0:48:56 > 0:48:58so that the cubs can learn to hunt.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06Incredibly, these three cubs represent
0:49:06 > 0:49:10one percent of the entire wild population.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18If their luck holds, within a year,
0:49:18 > 0:49:20they could be back in the forest.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25The next generation of Siberian tigers.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52We're nearing the end of our time in Siberia.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54With two days left, Victor and I
0:49:54 > 0:49:57still haven't found any sign of Princess.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01Today, we're searching
0:50:01 > 0:50:05the northern border of the reserve, but we're having some trouble.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29Every day, it's the same thing!
0:50:32 > 0:50:36Just outside of the reserve is a privately-owned hunting club.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50There are signs of tigers here.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53Could one of them be Princess?
0:50:57 > 0:51:00Victor can cover more ground alone...
0:51:04 > 0:51:06..and heads out to search for her.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20The staff here put out food
0:51:20 > 0:51:24to increase the number of deer and boar for hunting...
0:51:26 > 0:51:29..and that means more prey for tigers.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31But I'm curious to know about
0:51:31 > 0:51:34the hunters' attitudes to this predator,
0:51:34 > 0:51:36so I speak to the manager.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:51:43 > 0:51:46He says, "You can see by the tracks here
0:51:46 > 0:51:48"that we get along OK with tigers."
0:51:48 > 0:51:51You know, he takes his share, especially of wild boar,
0:51:51 > 0:51:54but, "We have no problems."
0:51:56 > 0:52:01HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:52:03 > 0:52:08"On this hunting lease, there are about four tigers in this area."
0:52:08 > 0:52:11He said, "If there was an elimination of the tigers here,
0:52:11 > 0:52:15"wolves would come in, and that's more of a problem than tigers."
0:52:16 > 0:52:19So here, at least, the hunters and tigers
0:52:19 > 0:52:22seem to benefit from each other.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Wolves are pack animals,
0:52:26 > 0:52:29capable of taking large numbers of prey.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33But tigers don't tolerate wolves in their territory.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38This hunting ground may not be the norm in the Russian Far East,
0:52:38 > 0:52:41but tigers here are protected from illegal poachers
0:52:41 > 0:52:43and have plenty of food.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48Victor continues the search for Princess.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53The last hope for a breeding population
0:52:53 > 0:52:56in the neighbouring Ussuriysk Reserve.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05The next morning, he has something for me to hear.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12INTERFERENCE ON RADIO
0:53:15 > 0:53:18So who's that? What's that sound?
0:53:18 > 0:53:20Is that a collar?
0:53:21 > 0:53:24I have record of Princess.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28- Princess?- Yes. - In the hunting lease yesterday?
0:53:28 > 0:53:31- Yesterday.- Oh, la-la la-la!
0:53:31 > 0:53:34Victor has found Princess.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36She's alive!
0:53:38 > 0:53:41I was very happy when I record...
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Victor, that's fantastic!
0:53:43 > 0:53:47But I do a lot of track, we go in this mountain.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51- So you went up the mountain? - Yes. And I switched on...
0:53:51 > 0:53:52Oh!
0:53:52 > 0:53:54..and I heard Princess.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00Victor, how important is it to have proof of Princess,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02for the reserve, for the future of tigers here?
0:54:02 > 0:54:06It is good for population. It is very important.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08Very important, and now that we have proof, you know...
0:54:08 > 0:54:11she's alive, she's here.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14The female is the future. The cubs is the future.
0:54:14 > 0:54:19Like our children, they are the future for the human population.
0:54:24 > 0:54:29Princess is the key to the future of this vital reserve.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32The fact that she's alive is fantastic news
0:54:32 > 0:54:36for the wider Siberian tiger population.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40Hopefully, it won't be too long before she breeds
0:54:40 > 0:54:44with one of the males in Ussuriysk and has cubs herself.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56At the start of our mission, we deployed 30 camera traps...
0:55:02 > 0:55:05..and we've already had some fantastic results.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27Dale is keen to show us the latest images.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29- OK, everybody ready?- OK.
0:55:29 > 0:55:35OK, so I want to show you footage we got of a female up in Terney.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39- Look at that! - Oh, she's absolutely magnificent!
0:55:41 > 0:55:44This young female doesn't have a collar.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47It's the first time anyone has seen her.
0:55:49 > 0:55:50Yeah, this is pretty amazing.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54Oh! Having a good old sniff!
0:55:54 > 0:55:57- Yeah, that's incredible, huh?- Aw!
0:55:57 > 0:55:59Whiskers right up to the camera.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04Just no matter how often you see a tiger,
0:56:04 > 0:56:06it just takes your breath away, doesn't it?
0:56:06 > 0:56:08This footage is just mind-blowing.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11I've not seen any wild Siberian tiger footage like this
0:56:11 > 0:56:13anywhere in the world.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17This grimace is the Flehmen response.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21It allows her to make sense of the scent left by other tigers.
0:56:27 > 0:56:32To see this young female coming into this area, curious,
0:56:32 > 0:56:35active, with a character,
0:56:35 > 0:56:37I mean, she really inspires hope
0:56:37 > 0:56:39for the future of tigers across the region.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46The cameras have revealed
0:56:46 > 0:56:50there is another breeding female in Dale's reserve.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54CHEERING AND LAUGHTER
0:56:54 > 0:56:57- Amazing.- Excellent.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02I hope we can save for the future.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06Honestly, how can you argue that
0:57:06 > 0:57:10that and its habitat have to be saved?
0:57:10 > 0:57:14Looking at this, it kind of eliminates the need
0:57:14 > 0:57:16to ask that question.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18The video itself states the obvious,
0:57:18 > 0:57:21that this animal deserves a place to live.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27It's the end of our time here in Russia.
0:57:29 > 0:57:33Working with these scientists, we've seen first-hand
0:57:33 > 0:57:37the challenges threatening the survival of the Siberian tiger.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45And our cameras have helped to unlock
0:57:45 > 0:57:48the secrets of this elusive big cat.
0:57:49 > 0:57:54The vital work to save the Siberian tiger continues.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58Their future hangs in the balance.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04But I've been overwhelmed by the passion
0:58:04 > 0:58:07and dedication of the people I've met here...
0:58:11 > 0:58:13..and perhaps, through their efforts,
0:58:13 > 0:58:15there will still be tigers
0:58:15 > 0:58:18roaming these magical forests
0:58:18 > 0:58:20for generations to come.
0:58:47 > 0:58:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd