Love knows no bounds, even in the wild. In Russia’s far east, Boris, a young Siberian tiger, got a second chance at life through an ambitious project to reintroduce these majestic creatures to their historic range.

 

 

Love knows no bounds, even in the wild. In Russia’s far east, Boris, a young Siberian tiger, got a second chance at life through an ambitious project to reintroduce these majestic creatures to their historic range. Raised in captivity, Boris was eventually released into the wild, but fate had a different plan.

 

Driven by instinct, he traveled over 200 kilometers (124 miles) to reunite with Svetlaya, a female tiger raised alongside him. Their bond blossomed, and within months, they welcomed a litter of cubs.

 

This incredible story is part of the Siberian tiger reintroduction project in the Pri-Amur region, a Russian territory bordering China. After a 50-year absence, Siberian tigers were reintroduced between 2012 and 2021.

 

Boris and Svetlaya were among six orphaned cubs raised in captivity, trained with live prey, and released with GPS collars to track their progress. The success of this project marks a hopeful chapter in the restoration of this iconic species.