Amur Tiger Tracking

22/11/2020

First snow, first tiger’s tracks.

31/10/2020

Первый снег.

14/05/2020

GOLD OR TIGERS?
In the southern part of the Khabarovsk Territory, in the basins of the upper reaches of the Durmin, Obor, Kiya and the middle reaches of the Khor River, one of the last full-fledged tiger groups in the region is concentrated - and the only one that lives outside the boundaries of protected areas. The Khorsky model site is located here. Nevertheless, to date, the Khorsky site has maintained a fairly high tiger population density: according to monitoring data of the last five years, up to 22 individuals of different age categories have been recorded here simultaneously (13-15 on average), of which at least 10 are adult animals involved in breeding. The key territory for this group of predators is the basin of the upper reaches of the Durmin River, where the Durminskoye hunting forest is located. Due to the inaccessibility and protection of this site, the preserved massifs of fruit-bearing oak, a high number of ungulates is maintained here with a minimum level of poaching, and therefore local lands become a regular habitat for 5-6 adult tigers and are periodically visited by other individuals. In Durmin and the surrounding area, at least 11 cubs have been born over the past three years. The significance of this predator group for the conservation of the species at the northern boundary of the range is exclusive.
However, the perspective for the continued existence of tigers at the Khorsky model site raises serious concerns. In the upper reaches of the Durmin River, near the watershed with the Obor, Kiya and Khor rivers, there is a deposit of ore gold and silver. As it became known at the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Khabarovsk Territory, Pacific Mining LLC obtained a license to deploy work in this place. Earlier, in 2014, the same license was issued to Eastern Mining Company LLC, which was forced to curtail its plans due to the refusal of domestic investors to finance the work.
During the development of the deposit, it is planned to build the following facilities: a quarry, a gold recovery factory with a tailing dump, an industrial site, a warehouse for explosive materials, a testing ground for the destruction of explosive materials, a shift camp, a landfill for solid household waste, highways, and power lines.
The implementation of this plan will cause irreparable damage to the entire natural complex of the specified territory and, first of all, will jeopardize the possibility for tigers to live here. In the area of ​​the projected works, the most important natural tiger trails between the basins of neighboring rivers lie, which largely ensures the unity of the group of predators. Due to the preserved forest areas with cedar and oak, the protective qualities of the habitats are high, including places for arranging brood shelters and raising cubs. In this place, a high number of the main objects of predator hunting remains - wild boar, red deer, roe deer and badger.
Blasting operations during quarry development, complete deforestation, construction of gold mining facilities, environmental pollution with industrial and household waste, and a year-round road will reduce the number of tigers and their victims, worsen the quality of their habitats, create a high anthropogenic disturbance factor and increase the availability of land for poachers. The implementation of this project will contribute to the emerging fragmentation of the tiger range and, as a result, will cause irreparable damage to the entire population of the Amur subspecies of the tiger, preserved exclusively in our country.

Specially protected natural areas existing on the territory of the Khabarovsk Territory cannot ensure the conservation of the tiger population, since these areas are insufficient to maintain viable groups of this predator in the long-term prospect. The possibility of natural contacts between local groups of predator is extremely important. "Khorsky" group of tigers ensures the reproduction and natural flow of migrant tigers in the northern, southern, eastern and even western directions. The disappearance of the local group will not only lead to a general reduction in the population of tigers in the Russian Far East, but will also pose a serious threat to the conservation of the northernmost foci of the species.
https://www.change.org/p/%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85-%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%83%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D1%80%D1%84-%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8-%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%83%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%85-%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C-%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%8B%D1%87%D1%83-%D0%B2-%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5-%D1%80-%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD-%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B9?cs_tk=Ar6SylQpn9XuQB2gwF4AAXicyyvNyQEABF8BvHdg1mUlUqhIgJ5IVR7mDD8%3D&utm_campaign=eaf4311683c9476fbdc6187b53509526&utm_content=initial_v0_0_1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=petition_signer_receipt_welcome&utm_term=cs

Спасти амурских тигров - остановить золотодобычу в долине р. Дурмин (Хабаровский край)

11/04/2020

10/03/2020

Last snow, first flowers.

19/02/2020

Russian winter is a magical time.

22/01/2020

During winter guests can enjoy cross-country skiing and walking tours around the country lodge. The tours can be tailored to different levels of fitness. These walks give an opportunity to get in touch with different Ussurian animal tracks. For hundreds of kilometers there are no settlements between this place and the coast of the Okhotsk Sea, so the visitors are able to get acquainted with the unique flora of the Ussuri taiga, learn about the habitat conditions of tigers, bears and wild boars, see their tracks and even spot the animals. During the tours guests are offered tea boiled on a bonfire with some homemade jam of local berries.
You can also enjoy ice skating on the ice of a forest lake.
In the evening you are welcome to enjoy the Russian banya (sauna) with hot birch or oak whisks massage and an overnight stay in a comfortable country lodge. You can spend the rest of the evening by the cozy crackling fireplace in Kiya lodge.
Everyone loves the great Far Eastern evenings, so no matter who you are and what you do, you will enjoy the delicious aroma and flavour of “shashlik” (shish-kebab) and authentic Russian banya. https://www.russian-adventure.com/country-lodge-kiya-1

21/01/2020

Winter is a white majestic world on its own where tracking wildlife and the stories of the forest are most clear and easy to track. It's also the time where one would have the highest probability of a tiger sighting and almost guaranteed results of photos and videos using camera traps. When and where else in the world does a tiger live in the snow? https://www.russian-adventure.com/tiger-s-photo-safary

11/11/2019

The Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), also known as the Siberian Tiger or the Ussuri Tiger, is the largest-sized subspecies of tiger. Mature males have an average length (with tail) of up to 400 cm (157 in), and shoulder height of 100 cm (39 in). It weighs 180 – 300 kg, with record weight recorded at 385 kg. Females are usually much smaller weighing between 100 – 166 kg. The Amur Tiger is confined completely to the Southeast of Russia, along the rivers Amur and Ussuri, It can be found throughout the Primorye Territory and the eastern part of the Khabarovsk Territory.
Would you like to know more about Amur Tiger? Join us for Tiger tracking tours https://www.russian-adventure.com/

08/11/2019

Winter is coming. So it is time to book tigers tracking tours. We are only able to accommodate maximum of 8 people at a time. Not many places left. Please visit our website and book your adventure for this winter. https://www.russian-adventure.com/

07/11/2019

Mushroom hunting

07/11/2019

Autumn flowers.

05/07/2019

Summer at the country lodge Kiya

15/04/2019

Spring

01/04/2019

Spring flowers.

18/03/2019

Spring! These photos were taken in one day at the country lodge Kiya.

12/03/2019

March snowfall.

29/01/2019

Winter is the best time for tiger tracking and ski tours. The tours don’t require any special physical preparation. These walks give an opportunity to get in touch with different Ussurian animals tracks and follow tiger trails. During the tours guests are offered tea boiled on a bonfire with some home made jam out of local berries. After the trip visitors are welcome to enjoy the Russian banya with hot massage using birch or oak whisks. https://www.russian-adventure.com/country-lodge-kiya-1

04/12/2018

Winter at the Country Lodge Kiya.

05/11/2018

Flowers on the snow.

02/11/2018

First snow. So time for tiger tracking tours is coming.

22/10/2018

Autumn at the county lodge Kiya.

03/10/2018

Winter is coming. So it is time to book tigers tracking tours. We are only able to accommodate maximum of 8 people at a time. Not many places left. Please visit our website and book your adventure for this winter. https://www.russian-adventure.com/

26/09/2018

Akishma river
Akishma is the most difficult river for rafting in the Khabarovsk territory.

In 1992 together with a group of American tourists, we rafted along the Akishma river. It was the first group of foreign tourists who rafted in the Russian Far East. Unfortunately at that time we did't have digital cameras, so photos are not very good quality. A film about this rafting can be seen on our website https://www.russian-adventure.com/gallery

20/09/2018

Autumn in the Russian Far East.https://www.russian-adventure.com/

20/09/2018

At first I doubted whether I should share my negative experience in Chile because after some time all bad memories have started to fade.
But recently I have received several messages with questions about my trip and decided to write this post to warn other travelers of my adventures.
I prefer to organize all my trekkings and summit ascents through local companies because I like international groups where I can enjoy the mountains and also communicate with people from different countries. And until Chile I have always been lucky to have the best tour guides and organizers as well as other participant of the ascents.
My home city – Khabarovsk – is rather far from any mountains. To get to Latin America I have to change three planes so you can guess that carrying all mountaineering equipment with me is not convenient. Therefore, I prefer to rent sizable things such as sleeping bag from local companies. In 2017 I climbed Aconcagua with Argentinean company and rented from them almost every piece of equipment including sleeping bag and down parka. Everything was of excellent quality.
While preparing for Chile and Ojos del Salado peak I searched Internet for Chilean travel agencies that could offer such tours. I found that only Andes Mountain Expediciones agency could offer me a suitable program for convinient dates. Besides, they had a good website. The head of the agency – Pedro Marzolo – responded me swiftly and gave rather detailed answer to my questions:
“After accommodate in our hotel, we will check your personal mountaineering equipment according to our equipment list. This is a very important step for our expedition; sometimes we discover some clothes not warm enough for climb Ojos del Salado volcano. In that case we can suggest some alternatives and also stores where you can buy or rent extra equipment (let us know in advance).”
“Yes, we offer rent equipment for you, here is our price list:”
“Remember that Ojos del Salado could be a very cold mountain, at night temperatures could arrive at -20°C or less, especially at high camps. So you need adequate equipment.”
Besides, it was also said in Pedro’s letter and his website:
“We carry in our expeditions a satellite phone for any emergency and also you can use for an extra fee for call friends or family reports.”
“Our guide will have a Nonin Pulse oxymeters for high mountaineering expeditions. Every expedition has one of these instruments to measure the saturation of oxygen of each client allowing for daily control and safety in the route to the summit.”
“Full base camp set up dining tent, chair, tables, etc.”
Several times I additionally clarified that I would be able to rent sleeping bag and every time Pedro affirmed that they could provide it.
So I booked a tour in Andes Mountain Expediciones.
I arrived to Santiago by international flight. Pedro was supposed to buy me a ticket from Santiago to Copiapo. But in Santiago I found out that he had bought me a ticket for the opposite direction, from Copiapo to Santiago. Another man who accompanied me helped me to get in touch with Pedro and the ticket was exchanged but I had to spend half a day in Santiago instead of going straight to my destination. I didn’t give that mistake much thought back then.
Upon arrival I was met by a tour guide and his assistant. As Pedro mentioned before there were no other participants and I was their only tourist for this tour. I asked the guide about a sleeping bag and he told me not to worry because it had already been booked and would be delivered the next day before we leave.
In the morning I asked again and was told that my sleeping bag is packed and I would see it at camp in the evening.
You can imagine my surprise when in the evening I received a sleeping bag for -7°C while the agency’s website said, “Remember that Ojos del Salado could be a very cold mountain, at night temperatures could arrive at -20°C or less, especially at high camps. So you need adequate equipment.”
It was freezing cold that first night at the altitude of 2890m. During the trip we were supposed to go higher than 5000m and have sleepovers there.
Only after 5 days, when I was already completely sick and had fever, my guide went to get another sleeping bag. Despite my requests, he brought a similar one. His suggestion was to put one bag inside the other which was absolutely unacceptable. Good rest is critical in these conditions, but I was unable to sleep due to the discomfort of narrow sleeping bags and the cold. Due to the poor equipment they had supplied I fell ill and was unable to reach the summit.
More than that, apart from the bag, none of the equipment mentioned in Pedro’s letter and his website had been provided.
Here is what was promised to me:
“We carry in our expeditions a satellite phone for any emergency and also you can use for an extra fee for call friends or family reports.”
“Our guide will have a Nonin Pulse oxymeters for high mountaineering expeditions. Every expedition has one of these instruments to measure the saturation of oxygen of each client allowing for daily control and safety in the route to the summit.”
“Full base camp set up dining tent, chair, tables, etc. “
But there were no oxymeters.
I had promised my wife to make a call at least once in three or four days, but my guide didn’t have a satellite phone.
Also he didn’t have a dining tent so when we were camping at the Lake Verge we were unable to light an open fire due to the strong winds.
Apparently, Pedro has made a decently looking website using information from the Internet and websites of other mountain tours companies but in reality he cannot provide any of the services he promotes. Looks like the whole agency consist of Pedro himself and he has never met personally with his guides, he doesn’t know what equipment they have and what kind of people they are. He communicates with them only by email. Basically, he sends tourists on serious, dangerous routes with complete strangers.
In addition to the lack of equipment, during the whole trip we had problems with our car. It was in a very bad condition and every morning my guides had to waste considerable amount of time to get it started. There was not a single morning that we left the camp at the planned time. The day we were going back down from the camp at 5200m they couldn’t start the car at all. Luckily, there was a group of Russians who helped us start the engine with a cable.
Chile is a wonderful country and of course there are reliable tour agencies. My trip had been saved from becoming a complete disaster by a guide Cristian Ordenes. He accompanied another Russian tourist on the same route there and kindly agreed to help me out from time to time. He acted professionally and obviously knew his trade. It was him who had an oxymeter. When I got sick he brought thermometer and spared me some medicines which my guides didn’t have. Also Cristian had a dining tent that we shared while camping.
It is such a shame that there are people like Pedro, who build up a negate reputation for Chile.
Still, returning back from the mountain did not mean the end of my misadventures. The tour price included one night at the hotel in Capio and transfer from the hotel to the airport. Nevertheless, when we approached Capio my guides told me to look for the place to stay by myself. Since the Internet started to work only 50 km away from the city I basically had to stop at the first available hotel. I was proposed to pay for it and later contact Pedro about refund. Also my guides suggested that I booked a taxi to the airport. Only after my insistent demand they agreed to take me to the airport.
I have travelled a lot and used services of tour agencies all around the world. Chile happened to be the first country where I encountered a company that didn’t meet any of my expectations and didn’t fulfill any promises.
After Andes I went to Easter Island with the AdventureLife agency. Everything was organized perfectly and went smoothly. That trip to the island took off most of my stress after travelling with Andes Mountain Expediciones. Thanks to AdventureLife, Chile left a good impression after all. I will certainly come there again but most definitely won’t use the services of Andes Mountain Expediciones.

13/09/2018

Autumn in the Russian Far East. It is time to book tiger tracking tours for the winter. www.russian-adventure.com

08/09/2018

Autumn is a great time to visit the Russian Far East.
It's best time for fishing and for watching bears.
www.russian-adventure.com

15/07/2018

It’s time to book your Amur tiger tracking tour for next year!

26/06/2018

During the whale watching tours, you will have the opportunity to take excellent photos of many other marine animals, as well as birds and bears.
Details by email: [email protected]

These photos are provided by Travel Center Far East. (ООО "Центр путешествий ДВ")

14/06/2018

Kamchatka is the land of volcanoes and glaciers, hot springs and boiling geysers. There are 414 glaciers and 160 volcanoes!
Join us for "volcanoes & geysers" tours.
Details: www.russian-adventure.com

04/06/2018

Season bowhead whales watching tours is opened!
Join us for whales watching tours.
Details: www.russian-adventure.com
Shantar Islands are called one of the most unusual places in the world. Eight months of the year the islands are covered with ice, the melting of glaciers ends in August. Islands - one of the few places on earth where in the height of summer you can swim among icebergs. Landscapes of the archipelago are amazing in their beauty, there is a huge number of cliffs of the most bizarre shapes and colors - pink, green, red, white, all that you can imagine. Once upon there were people, now except for a few workers of the meteorological station on the islands no one lives, the quiet and tranquil atmosphere of this place will bring thoughts into order, and the amazing nature will help to relax after the noisy city bustle. On steep banks you can see a lot of waterfalls, rivers and lakes, where there are a variety of species of fish - pink salmon, rudd, malma, salmon, char, mikizha and others. Brown bears walk along the shores, many birds fly, whales, killer whales and seals float along the shores. All this is admirable and causes a desire to return to this place again and again.

Photos provided by Travel Center Far East. (ООО "Центр путешествий ДВ")

01/06/2018

Kamchatka is a place where everyone must visit!
Join us for Volcanas and Geysers tours.
Details: www.russian-adventure.com
Here are just a few facts about this region:
-The highest active volcano of Eurasia is Klyuchevskaya Sopka - 4850m
- The highest Geyser Giant in the Valley of Geysers. Pillar of boiling water and steam reaches 30-40m.
- The valley of the geysers exceeds all other geysers of the world in size and volume of water ejected
- The highest tides (13 m) in the Penzhina Bay of the Sea of Okhotsk
- The hottest lake in Russia is Fumarolnoe (average water temperature + 50grad.)

29/05/2018

Would like to see Himalayan bears in their natural habitat? July and August is the best time of the year for it.
Join us for Himalayan bears watching tours.
Details: www.russian-adventure.com
The size of Himalayan bears is smaller than brown bear – body length is about 130-190cm, weight of the males – 100 - 200kg. Females are smaller - about 80 -125 kg. Himalayan black bears usually include a distinct white patch on their chest that is often crescent-shaped. The fur around the shoulders and throat is particularly long, and their ears are relatively large and rounded.
They easily climb trees in order to forage. They may use rest platforms in trees made of branches broken while feeding. Photo was made in durminskoe reserve.
www.russian-adventure.com

04/05/2018

Joint project of the the forest reserve «Durminskoe" and Khabarovsk Wildlife Foundation “Trees for Tigers - 2018».

Trees for Tigers will start in Durminskoye Reserve in the Khabarovsk Krai, Amur region in the Far East of Russia, with Alexander Batalov. As the knowledge base, best practices, and resources develop we will explore opportunities to share and collaborate with other regions that have tiger habitats and populations.

Tigers don’t specifically need trees, but their primary food source, the wild boar and deer, do need trees for their food. Logging of tiger habitats destroys the habitat of wild boar and deer and consequently the habitat of tigers. Left unattended regeneration of forests requires several generations to re-establish the specific trees needed to sustain the wild boar and deer and consequently tigers.

The goal of the project: To replant logged forests with diverse native trees to accommodate tigers, wild boar, deer, and future logging requirements. To research and disseminate the best practices for planting and reforesting logged areas of tiger habitat with species essential to the survival of wild boar, deer, and tigers.
Focussed education for the local inhabitants: To educate and engage people in the work of conservation, both locally and internationally. School visits, conservation, eco-tourism opportunities.
Focussed international education, provide Trees for Tigers materials for partner groups initially in the UK and USA.

Targets:
1. Year one – Have replanted 1000 trees in the Russian Far East – preferably 250 of each of the four main trees. Have educational materials printed and the standard talks set up for different age groups in Russia.
2. Year two – Have replanted 5,000 trees in the Russian Far East. Have an established school and college educational circuit in Russia. Look to bring the first group of students from Russia for a replanting weekend in the base camp. Then look to bring a group of foreign people (zoo keepers) on a replanting trip. Look to get on the TV in a documentary or on the news. Have regular talks and presentations set up in UK and USA schools and colleges.
3. Year three – Have replanted 10,000 trees in the Russian Far East. Bringing students from Russia and the UK and USA over to the base camp for reforestation projects. Look to expand the work from Durminskoye to other neighbouring reserves

The project is being implemented by Batalov (Duminsky) and Alexander Nikolayevich Kulikov, the chairman of the board of the Regional Public Charity Fund of Wildlife (Wildlife Foundation)

Now Year 1 has started (the first year of the project - 2018)
9000 cedar seedlings were purchased, sites for planting seedlings were selected, and on May 19 a planting will begin with the participation of specialists and pupils of the local school (settlement Durminskoye)