This Siberian tiger is roaming through the woods of Russia's Far East.
She's on the hunt, yet not the way you might think.
Her path leads to the edge of the forest on the Pacific coast
where kelp is constantly washed ashore.
But why would a carnivore need salty seaweed,
found on the beach?
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Siberian winters are harsh.
More than a metre of snow is not unusual
and temperatures drop way below zero,
down to 40 °C,
cutting food resources to a bare minimum.
Yet on Siberia's eastern limits,
at the ocean side of the Sikhote Alin coastal range,
winter is much milder, with less snow
and temperatures rarely dropping under 25 °C below freezing.
This is all thanks to the Pacific Ocean
that functions as a gigantic heat deposit.
Warm water flows in from the south,
heating up the icy air flowing down from the arctic
along a narrow strip of land along the coast.
It's during winter time that sika deer, attracted by the warmth,
come to the coast from far and wide.
But sunny beach days are not the main attraction they are here for.
The surf washes lots of kelp ashore –
giant brown algae that form submarine forests
in nutrient-rich waters.
During winter, the sikas find this salty seafood irresistible,
since it contains many badly needed minerals.
They know that here on the shores, out in the open,
they are vulnerable with barely any possibilities to hide.
Yet their bodies yearn for these nutrients,
so they must take risks.
And they are already under observation.
The risk lurks at the forest edge.
This tigress knows
that the sikas will have to take back up into the woods eventually.
She has followed the deer to the coast,
knowing they can't stay at the shores forever.
So, her strategy is to roam silently
and watch patiently.
At the shore she has no possibility to sneak up on them unnoticed.
In the thick vegetation, the deer usually feel safe
where they can hide and rest during the day.
But the problem lies on the way there,
where the forest is sparse and full of glades.
It's here where the tigress is in full advantage position.
Here, the snow makes it hard for the deer to sprint.
Yet there's already enough vegetation
for the tiger to get close enough for a surprise attack.
The sudden silence tells the survivors that they got spared this time
and now at least they are safe – for a while.
Despite her hunger, the tigress eats only a little
because back in the woods to hungry mouths are waiting to be fed.
Her cubs may look nearly grown up,
but they still depend on their mother's hunting skills.
Crows and magpies often give away a tiger's presence.
That's one thing the youngsters still have to learn.
The siblings must eat before the meat is frozen.
With their primary teeth, they even find it hard to tear the skin.
For the two youngsters it will be another year
before they will be ready to fend for themselves.
The Russian Far East is a wild place.
The whole border region between Russia and China along the Amur river
has so many stories to tell around wildlife and conservation.
You're interested in this topic? Stay tuned and turn the notifications on.
There's an upload every Friday and more stories about this region to come.
Thank you!