1 00:00:12,278 --> 00:00:16,305 On the edge of a lush forest in Coastal Siberia, 2 00:00:16,516 --> 00:00:18,848 a hunter is on the prowl. 3 00:00:41,508 --> 00:00:45,535 Terney, A small town in Far East Russia. 4 00:00:46,246 --> 00:00:48,612 This is no longer a place of exile, 5 00:00:48,748 --> 00:00:52,184 but today's Siberians must eke out a hard living, 6 00:00:52,318 --> 00:00:55,116 trapping, fishing, and logging. 7 00:00:55,555 --> 00:00:58,524 They live on one of the last frontiers - 8 00:00:58,658 --> 00:01:03,425 surrounded by a vast and largely untamed wilderness. 9 00:01:04,464 --> 00:01:09,766 And still, out there somewhere, a legend lives. 10 00:01:15,041 --> 00:01:19,978 A creature of fearful power and stunning beauty. 11 00:01:23,216 --> 00:01:29,052 It is the biggest cat on earth... the Siberian tiger. 12 00:01:35,462 --> 00:01:38,590 Today wildlife biologists seek to study the tiger 13 00:01:38,731 --> 00:01:40,699 and perhaps to save it. 14 00:01:42,969 --> 00:01:47,201 About three hundred Siberian tigers survive in the wild. 15 00:01:47,340 --> 00:01:50,104 And they are perilously close to extinction. 16 00:01:52,178 --> 00:01:54,043 These Russian and American scientists 17 00:01:54,180 --> 00:01:58,173 must get close to one of the most dangerous animals in the world. 18 00:02:23,443 --> 00:02:27,243 But while some seek the elusive tigers in the wild... 19 00:02:30,517 --> 00:02:34,009 one Russian scientist is studying them in captivity: 20 00:02:34,154 --> 00:02:36,315 Mating and hunting. 21 00:02:38,024 --> 00:02:39,389 Made for Siberia, 22 00:02:39,526 --> 00:02:44,691 this splendid cat can sprint across the snows at fifty miles an hour. 23 00:02:46,799 --> 00:02:49,927 Magnificent. Mysterious. 24 00:02:50,069 --> 00:02:54,233 Highly dangerous and highly endangered. 25 00:02:54,374 --> 00:03:00,176 This is the great Siberian - The Tiger of the Snow. 26 00:03:45,358 --> 00:03:47,849 A vast stretch of forest blankets Russia 27 00:03:47,994 --> 00:03:51,088 with a fourth of the world's timber reserves. 28 00:03:51,598 --> 00:03:57,059 Until recently the Siberian Tiger thrived here in secure isolation. 29 00:03:57,537 --> 00:04:00,301 Under the strict dictates of the old Soviet system, 30 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:02,499 the tiger was protected. 31 00:04:02,775 --> 00:04:05,573 But today, enforcement is lax. 32 00:04:08,915 --> 00:04:11,213 Rampant poaching has dramatically reduced 33 00:04:11,351 --> 00:04:14,252 the population of tigers in the wild. 34 00:04:35,541 --> 00:04:37,065 In the Asian medicine market, 35 00:04:37,210 --> 00:04:40,407 everything from the eyes to the tail is valued 36 00:04:40,546 --> 00:04:43,515 for its legendary curative powers. 37 00:04:43,883 --> 00:04:48,752 The magnificent coat alone might fetch ten thousand dollars. 38 00:04:49,122 --> 00:04:51,488 But poachers aren't the only threat. 39 00:04:56,296 --> 00:04:57,729 The tiger's habitat, 40 00:04:57,864 --> 00:05:00,492 part of the largest natural forest in the world, 41 00:05:00,633 --> 00:05:02,828 is rapidly disappearing. 42 00:05:03,036 --> 00:05:06,767 It's being cut at a rate of ten million acres a year. 43 00:05:12,445 --> 00:05:15,346 When authorities confiscate a pelt from the poachers 44 00:05:15,481 --> 00:05:20,248 it must be destroyed so it will never find its way to market. 45 00:05:20,753 --> 00:05:23,688 Recalling a poet's famous words... 46 00:05:23,823 --> 00:05:29,625 "Tyger, Tyger burning bright in the forests of the night..." 47 00:05:36,169 --> 00:05:39,195 The coast of Eastern Siberia. 48 00:05:40,273 --> 00:05:45,506 The Siberian tiger once ranged across much of the Asian continent. 49 00:05:46,546 --> 00:05:49,743 Once they numbered in the thousands. 50 00:05:50,049 --> 00:05:53,177 Now, only some three hundred survive 51 00:05:53,319 --> 00:05:57,483 in a narrow band of mountains on the Sea of Japan. 52 00:06:01,627 --> 00:06:05,063 The Siberia of legend is a frozen wasteland. 53 00:06:05,198 --> 00:06:10,135 In fact, parts of the forest are temperate - even subtropical. 54 00:06:15,441 --> 00:06:17,306 Here, Russian and American scientists 55 00:06:17,443 --> 00:06:20,435 are seeking to study wild Siberian tigers 56 00:06:20,580 --> 00:06:23,606 in a last-ditch effort to save them. 57 00:06:23,950 --> 00:06:27,181 Dr. Maurice Hornocker, an American big cat authority, 58 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,552 has brought desperately needed technology to this crucial effort. 59 00:06:33,126 --> 00:06:35,185 "Yeah, that's good, too." 60 00:06:35,928 --> 00:06:39,762 In the past, Russian scientists could study the tigers only in winter, 61 00:06:39,899 --> 00:06:42,663 when their tracks could be followed in the snow. 62 00:06:43,035 --> 00:06:45,162 Now, with radio tracking devices, 63 00:06:45,304 --> 00:06:50,503 the elusive cats can be studied sight-unseen - and year-round. 64 00:07:00,119 --> 00:07:01,609 "My first work with cats, 65 00:07:01,754 --> 00:07:05,121 with the mountain lions in North America, in Idaho, 66 00:07:05,258 --> 00:07:08,921 everyone said it couldn't be done - and I've always liked a challenge. 67 00:07:09,061 --> 00:07:12,792 We've used the tiger population as target species 68 00:07:12,932 --> 00:07:15,366 but we've studied the entire ecosystem. 69 00:07:15,501 --> 00:07:19,335 Because of the immense area that the tiger needs to exist 70 00:07:19,472 --> 00:07:23,499 defines entire watersheds, entire systems 71 00:07:23,643 --> 00:07:26,271 that the prey must also utilize. 72 00:07:26,412 --> 00:07:29,438 So you can literally define an entire ecosystem 73 00:07:29,582 --> 00:07:31,777 by studying a big cat." 74 00:07:33,419 --> 00:07:36,445 The scientists pick up a radio signal from a tiger 75 00:07:36,589 --> 00:07:39,285 somewhere in the thick forest below. 76 00:07:44,363 --> 00:07:46,923 In fact, it's a number of tigers. 77 00:07:47,066 --> 00:07:49,933 And incredibly, they're out in the open. 78 00:08:05,017 --> 00:08:07,952 Siberian tigers are so rare and elusive 79 00:08:08,087 --> 00:08:10,453 that even a fleeting glimpse like this 80 00:08:10,590 --> 00:08:13,491 is a landmark event for the scientists. 81 00:08:13,860 --> 00:08:15,919 "When we saw that female and those cubs 82 00:08:16,062 --> 00:08:19,691 on its lakeshore - wide open view - first time 83 00:08:19,832 --> 00:08:23,131 that a female Siberian tiger and her cubs had ever been observed 84 00:08:23,269 --> 00:08:24,759 and photographed from the air - 85 00:08:24,904 --> 00:08:29,238 it was one of the most thrilling events in my professional career." 86 00:08:36,482 --> 00:08:39,883 Hornocker's team has tracked some dozen tigers by radio, 87 00:08:40,019 --> 00:08:41,782 trying to determine such essential facts 88 00:08:41,921 --> 00:08:44,685 as their range and distribution. 89 00:08:49,762 --> 00:08:52,492 At the field lab of the Hornocker Wildlife Institute, 90 00:08:52,632 --> 00:08:55,100 Maurice is briefed by Dale Miquelle, 91 00:08:55,234 --> 00:08:58,965 who's been coordinating the field study for the past three years. 92 00:08:59,205 --> 00:09:00,331 "...we've got five females 93 00:09:00,473 --> 00:09:02,600 that we've got good information on their home ranges. 94 00:09:02,742 --> 00:09:04,073 Um, we've got olga, the four, 95 00:09:04,210 --> 00:09:06,974 first female we captured who's now in a home range 96 00:09:07,113 --> 00:09:10,105 that only includes a little piece of the reserve, actually, 97 00:09:10,249 --> 00:09:11,273 um, and then we've got..." 98 00:09:11,417 --> 00:09:12,884 Together with their Russian colleagues, 99 00:09:13,019 --> 00:09:16,785 they need to quickly establish a management plan for the tigers. 100 00:09:16,923 --> 00:09:18,686 "The, one of the things that's interesting about all of this 101 00:09:18,824 --> 00:09:21,691 is that all these animals travel outside the boundaries of the reserve 102 00:09:21,827 --> 00:09:23,692 so, even though the reserve is vast, 103 00:09:23,829 --> 00:09:26,525 it's not large enough to maintain these females 104 00:09:26,666 --> 00:09:28,327 in their entire home range." 105 00:09:28,901 --> 00:09:31,028 Time is running out. 106 00:09:31,270 --> 00:09:34,068 Even now, logging roads skirt the reserve, 107 00:09:34,206 --> 00:09:39,610 where only some twenty tigers roam over 1300 square miles. 108 00:09:46,252 --> 00:09:47,549 The researchers receive word 109 00:09:47,687 --> 00:09:50,815 that a tiger has been caught in one of their snares... 110 00:09:51,023 --> 00:09:54,584 a chance to add a new animal to their study group. 111 00:09:56,696 --> 00:10:00,996 Bart Schleyer and Dr. Hornocker prepare to sedate the tiger. 112 00:10:04,236 --> 00:10:05,726 "I don't see her." 113 00:10:07,707 --> 00:10:11,609 There is no way of Knowing how securely the tiger is trapped. 114 00:10:11,744 --> 00:10:13,541 He could suddenly pull free 115 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:17,308 and then they would have only a few seconds to save themselves. 116 00:10:59,158 --> 00:11:02,753 A tranquilizer dart should quiet the tiger down. 117 00:11:02,895 --> 00:11:06,194 Still, the dosage required is always in doubt. 118 00:11:06,666 --> 00:11:11,694 Too much endangers the tigers. Too little, the researchers. 119 00:11:47,873 --> 00:11:49,864 It's a three-year-old male. 120 00:11:50,009 --> 00:11:52,603 When fully grown, at about age six, 121 00:11:52,745 --> 00:11:55,339 he'll weigh six hundred pounds or more. 122 00:11:56,048 --> 00:11:57,982 But even now he's an armful. 123 00:11:58,117 --> 00:12:01,917 "This is about all we can do, guys. He's just too heavy. This is good." 124 00:12:02,054 --> 00:12:04,113 They carry the tiger to better ground. 125 00:12:07,626 --> 00:12:09,924 "Gonna lubricate his eyes." 126 00:12:10,062 --> 00:12:12,724 His eyes must be artificially lubricated 127 00:12:12,865 --> 00:12:15,629 since the blink response is sedated. 128 00:12:17,536 --> 00:12:19,834 "Let's get this snare off." 129 00:12:21,140 --> 00:12:24,974 These massive jaws can crack the spine of a wild boar 130 00:12:25,111 --> 00:12:26,635 with a single bite. 131 00:12:26,912 --> 00:12:28,072 "Young male tiger." 132 00:12:30,983 --> 00:12:35,977 Its feet are like thickly padded snowshoes... with retractable claws! 133 00:12:36,989 --> 00:12:38,149 "Boy, he's a beautiful animal." 134 00:12:38,524 --> 00:12:40,116 "Yeah, gorgeous." 135 00:12:42,061 --> 00:12:44,655 The radio collar allows them to track the tiger 136 00:12:44,797 --> 00:12:47,061 and help answer some crucial questions: 137 00:12:47,199 --> 00:12:50,066 How much territory do the tigers require? 138 00:12:50,369 --> 00:12:53,133 How many elk and deer and boar? 139 00:12:53,439 --> 00:12:55,964 How do they react to human encroachment? 140 00:13:01,213 --> 00:13:03,807 Suddenly, the tiger is having trouble breathing. 141 00:13:08,154 --> 00:13:10,315 They desperately try to revive him. 142 00:13:10,456 --> 00:13:11,923 "I'm gonna give him something." 143 00:13:12,925 --> 00:13:15,189 "And someone should keep..." 144 00:13:15,327 --> 00:13:16,453 "His eyes are moving." 145 00:13:16,595 --> 00:13:18,256 "Yeah, but his breaths are real low." 146 00:13:18,397 --> 00:13:19,591 "Give it to him." 147 00:13:42,822 --> 00:13:46,553 "That collar's cut, Maurice? That collar's cut? 148 00:13:46,926 --> 00:13:49,417 'Cause we might have a cat that comes up real quick" 149 00:13:50,729 --> 00:13:53,095 The tiger must be given a stimulant. 150 00:13:59,839 --> 00:14:03,605 Slowly he resumes his normal breathing rate. 151 00:14:05,578 --> 00:14:07,205 "Yeah, he's breathing. 152 00:14:08,948 --> 00:14:12,611 "Yeah, he's breathing. I think the danger's passed. 153 00:14:12,751 --> 00:14:14,116 Whew, man, that was... 154 00:14:14,253 --> 00:14:15,220 "Yeah." 155 00:14:15,855 --> 00:14:18,653 The biologists must now take their samples hastily... 156 00:14:18,791 --> 00:14:21,521 before the great beast fully awakens. 157 00:14:56,629 --> 00:14:58,392 They're reluctant to lose sight of him 158 00:14:58,530 --> 00:15:03,558 before he's safely on his feet - but also eager not to be in his way. 159 00:15:19,752 --> 00:15:21,117 Now at a safe distance, 160 00:15:21,253 --> 00:15:24,313 the team receives a signal from the radio collar. 161 00:15:24,623 --> 00:15:28,218 The tiger is up and about... and on the prowl again. 162 00:15:37,069 --> 00:15:38,434 In another part of the reserve, 163 00:15:38,570 --> 00:15:42,563 the team is concerned about the signal from a tigress named olga. 164 00:15:42,942 --> 00:15:46,002 She was the very first collared with a radio. 165 00:15:46,712 --> 00:15:50,944 Olga, it appears, has remained in the same area for a long time, 166 00:15:51,083 --> 00:15:53,278 a sign that she may be dead - 167 00:15:53,652 --> 00:15:56,416 or that she has found a den and given birth. 168 00:16:11,537 --> 00:16:14,665 Dr. Evgeny Smirnov, Russian tiger specialist, 169 00:16:14,807 --> 00:16:19,176 determines that olga is, in fact, moving about her den site. 170 00:16:27,987 --> 00:16:29,011 The researchers decide 171 00:16:29,154 --> 00:16:32,612 they'll attempt to enter the den to earmark the cubs. 172 00:16:32,891 --> 00:16:34,324 They'll need to wait until night 173 00:16:34,460 --> 00:16:36,655 when the tigress should be out hunting. 174 00:16:36,795 --> 00:16:39,263 Hopefully, far from home. 175 00:16:46,038 --> 00:16:49,599 "I asked if he thought, uh, it would be dangerous 176 00:16:49,742 --> 00:16:53,838 or we'd, we'd be in trouble if we went there and he said, 177 00:16:53,979 --> 00:16:56,914 'of course, it'd be dangerous, there's only one variation there, 178 00:16:57,049 --> 00:16:58,641 to approach when she's not there, 179 00:16:58,784 --> 00:17:01,048 because it's simply too dangerous to make an approach 180 00:17:01,186 --> 00:17:02,813 with the, the mother present."' 181 00:17:07,092 --> 00:17:08,184 "He said, 'Thank God, 182 00:17:08,327 --> 00:17:12,821 we have the telemetry equipment to check on whether or not olga is there 183 00:17:12,965 --> 00:17:16,093 and so we Know, exactly, when she's left the den site. 184 00:17:16,235 --> 00:17:21,229 Without that it, it'd simply be a, a suicide mission to walk in there.' 185 00:17:29,982 --> 00:17:34,885 The fading radio signal indicates that olga has left her den. 186 00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:39,250 But if she returns she would probably attack instantly. 187 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:44,818 They test flares they hope would drive olga off. 188 00:17:46,165 --> 00:17:49,066 Protecting a den is one of the rare circumstances 189 00:17:49,201 --> 00:17:52,261 when a Siberian will turn man-killer. 190 00:18:09,555 --> 00:18:13,855 Night is the time when tigers are most alert and aggressive. 191 00:18:14,393 --> 00:18:17,692 Their night vision is far superior to humans. 192 00:18:23,602 --> 00:18:26,400 The signal from olga - once faint - 193 00:18:26,538 --> 00:18:27,937 is getting louder. 194 00:18:28,574 --> 00:18:31,543 The team must quickly be in and out of the den. 195 00:18:51,263 --> 00:18:54,096 "Yeah this is it. This is it, Bart." 196 00:18:54,867 --> 00:18:56,528 "Yeah, yeah, we've got the spot. 197 00:18:56,802 --> 00:18:58,133 "Do you see a cat?" 198 00:18:58,337 --> 00:18:59,361 "Yeah." 199 00:19:00,472 --> 00:19:02,702 Gloves soaked with tiger urine are worn 200 00:19:02,841 --> 00:19:06,834 so the mother will not detect their intrusion and reject her cubs. 201 00:19:38,277 --> 00:19:39,505 "Get away." 202 00:19:54,193 --> 00:19:55,717 It's a healthy male. 203 00:19:56,128 --> 00:20:02,226 Two months old, the cub already weighs about 13 pounds. 204 00:20:02,568 --> 00:20:04,263 "Dale, I'm still getting a signal 205 00:20:04,403 --> 00:20:06,997 and it's really not that weak right now, 206 00:20:07,306 --> 00:20:11,299 we're probably going to have to hurry, if you can." 207 00:20:16,515 --> 00:20:21,111 Unlike other cats, tiger kittens never learn to purr. 208 00:20:26,258 --> 00:20:29,819 An ear tag is inserted for future identification. 209 00:20:30,262 --> 00:20:32,924 They christen the cub Sasha. 210 00:20:34,466 --> 00:20:36,366 "I'm getting a signal, we're going to have to hurry, 211 00:20:36,501 --> 00:20:39,493 she's back, she's come back over the ridge." 212 00:20:48,647 --> 00:20:51,172 Their daring has set a new precedent. 213 00:20:51,316 --> 00:20:52,681 For the first time ever, 214 00:20:52,818 --> 00:20:57,778 scientists have examined and returned a cub to a den in the wild. 215 00:21:04,663 --> 00:21:08,394 In towns and villages throughout coastal Siberia, 216 00:21:08,533 --> 00:21:12,333 people have learned to live with the idea of tigers. 217 00:21:12,671 --> 00:21:16,607 But attacks have happened and some are afraid. 218 00:21:17,175 --> 00:21:18,608 In the village of Guyvaron, 219 00:21:18,744 --> 00:21:23,340 however, one man is happy to have tigers in his own backyard. 220 00:21:23,615 --> 00:21:25,344 Maurice Hornocker and Howard Quigley 221 00:21:25,484 --> 00:21:27,748 are working with a Russian biologist 222 00:21:27,886 --> 00:21:30,980 who has two orphaned cubs in captivity. 223 00:21:32,891 --> 00:21:35,189 "That's a big male tiger." 224 00:21:35,460 --> 00:21:38,759 Victor Yudin has raised the cubs from infancy. 225 00:21:45,103 --> 00:21:49,733 Victor is the author of a definitive natural history of the Russian wolf. 226 00:21:50,042 --> 00:21:53,375 But he soon learned that Kuchur, the tiger... 227 00:21:53,979 --> 00:21:58,916 ...and Niurka, the tigress, are different animals indeed. 228 00:22:09,227 --> 00:22:12,719 "To study tigers in captivity is absolutely necessary, 229 00:22:12,864 --> 00:22:17,358 because many of their biological traits cannot be learned in the wild. 230 00:22:19,271 --> 00:22:21,637 Comparing the results of the tiger studies 231 00:22:21,773 --> 00:22:24,571 that were done in captivity and in the wild 232 00:22:24,710 --> 00:22:28,146 helps us to develop the methods of how to preserve the tiger 233 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,511 as a species in reserves like Sikhote-Alin." 234 00:22:33,385 --> 00:22:35,785 The young tigers have outgrown their cages, 235 00:22:35,921 --> 00:22:39,357 and so, with the support of the Hornocker Wildlife Institute 236 00:22:39,491 --> 00:22:42,619 an enclosure is built in the adjacent woods. 237 00:22:44,596 --> 00:22:47,190 Though a far cry from the hundreds of square miles 238 00:22:47,332 --> 00:22:49,596 a tiger in the wild would roam, 239 00:22:49,735 --> 00:22:52,329 these six acres will provide the young captives 240 00:22:52,471 --> 00:22:55,269 with the opportunity to run and hunt 241 00:22:55,507 --> 00:22:58,943 - and hopefully - even mate and have cubs. 242 00:23:01,913 --> 00:23:04,006 But there are neighbors in the area. 243 00:23:04,483 --> 00:23:08,078 Victor Knows the importance of keeping them well informed. 244 00:23:08,687 --> 00:23:09,551 Especially now, 245 00:23:09,688 --> 00:23:13,590 when the tigers will soon be turned loose into the enclosure. 246 00:23:14,426 --> 00:23:18,123 So he brings local school children to the compound. 247 00:23:21,967 --> 00:23:25,095 "Villagers often come to see the tigers. 248 00:23:25,237 --> 00:23:29,003 They often ask me: Why keep tigers in this enclosure 249 00:23:29,141 --> 00:23:32,076 since it's so different from life in the wild?" 250 00:23:45,524 --> 00:23:47,583 "I explain to them that there are limitations 251 00:23:47,726 --> 00:23:49,751 to what we can and cannot learn 252 00:23:49,895 --> 00:23:52,591 from observing tigers the way we do in the wild, 253 00:23:52,864 --> 00:23:55,662 by simply following tracks through the snow. 254 00:24:04,776 --> 00:24:08,041 Afterwards, when people realize that it's not just for fun, 255 00:24:08,180 --> 00:24:11,707 that it's serious work they look at me in admiration, 256 00:24:11,850 --> 00:24:14,546 as if I were a superman, I guess." 257 00:24:25,764 --> 00:24:28,528 The day has come when - for the first time - 258 00:24:28,667 --> 00:24:33,468 the tigers will step into the natural world they were intended to rule. 259 00:24:35,540 --> 00:24:38,771 No one Knows how they will react to their new enclosure. 260 00:24:42,681 --> 00:24:45,809 For Victor, it's an especially anxious moment, 261 00:24:46,151 --> 00:24:49,052 for he hopes the enclosure will be home to these tigers 262 00:24:49,187 --> 00:24:51,155 for the rest of their lives. 263 00:25:11,443 --> 00:25:14,469 The male, Kuchur, steps boldly out. 264 00:25:17,749 --> 00:25:21,617 For the first time... the light through the trees, 265 00:25:21,887 --> 00:25:27,450 the smell of grass and leaf, the feel of the soft earth. 266 00:25:29,327 --> 00:25:32,819 Niurka, the female, is unsure of all this - 267 00:25:32,964 --> 00:25:35,398 and even tries to close the gate. 268 00:25:35,734 --> 00:25:39,693 But soon, curiosity overcomes caution. 269 00:25:58,723 --> 00:25:59,917 To Yudin's surprise, 270 00:26:00,058 --> 00:26:03,994 Kuchur begins to feel a little frisky and tries to mate. 271 00:26:04,296 --> 00:26:06,856 But Niurka will have no part of it. 272 00:26:06,998 --> 00:26:09,831 For her, the time has not yet come. 273 00:26:10,936 --> 00:26:12,403 Exhilarated by their freedom, 274 00:26:12,537 --> 00:26:16,166 they soon vanish into their little private forest. 275 00:26:22,647 --> 00:26:26,743 To feed his feline charges, Dr. Yudin collects road kill. 276 00:26:27,686 --> 00:26:31,122 Victor feels he Knows the mood of his tigers so well 277 00:26:31,256 --> 00:26:33,816 he can risk entering the enclosure. 278 00:26:49,908 --> 00:26:52,570 In the wild, most attacks on humans occur 279 00:26:52,711 --> 00:26:57,375 when they invade a tiger's territory or when cubs are threatened. 280 00:26:57,649 --> 00:27:03,178 Unlike Bengal tigers, Siberians have never been Known to hunt man. 281 00:27:13,632 --> 00:27:16,157 As the tigers settle into their enclosure, 282 00:27:16,301 --> 00:27:20,931 Dr. Yudin begins his observations and controlled experiments. 283 00:27:21,339 --> 00:27:24,137 He hopes to learn which behaviors are innate 284 00:27:24,275 --> 00:27:27,210 and which would need to be taught to captive tigers 285 00:27:27,345 --> 00:27:29,779 before they could be released into the wild. 286 00:27:31,716 --> 00:27:34,810 Tigers live in a world of feast or famine. 287 00:27:35,153 --> 00:27:37,951 Still, Kuchur must wait his turn. 288 00:27:38,356 --> 00:27:42,122 Dr. Yudin notices it's the female who feeds first. 289 00:27:53,371 --> 00:27:54,497 With the coming of fall, 290 00:27:54,639 --> 00:27:59,042 the first brisk winds blow in from the Siberian Arctic. 291 00:28:03,248 --> 00:28:05,614 As if designed for these autumn colors, 292 00:28:05,750 --> 00:28:08,184 the tigers blend with the landscape. 293 00:28:08,687 --> 00:28:11,121 In the wild, their coloration becomes lighter 294 00:28:11,256 --> 00:28:14,623 as winter approaches, anticipating snow. 295 00:28:29,407 --> 00:28:31,705 Dr. Yudin confronts one more problem 296 00:28:31,843 --> 00:28:34,971 that makes the study of tiger behavior so difficult. 297 00:28:36,981 --> 00:28:40,439 The tiger is largely a creature of the dark 298 00:28:50,795 --> 00:28:52,820 With their extraordinary night vision, 299 00:28:52,964 --> 00:28:56,991 Kuchur and Niurka come fully alive only after sunset. 300 00:29:00,472 --> 00:29:03,999 Recently, they've begun to roam restlessly in the dark 301 00:29:04,676 --> 00:29:09,579 Victor wonders if night has awakened an instinctive urge to hunt. 302 00:29:11,382 --> 00:29:13,748 When he releases a small rabbit in the enclosure, 303 00:29:13,885 --> 00:29:16,115 he quickly learns the answer. 304 00:29:52,891 --> 00:29:53,721 After several weeks, 305 00:29:53,858 --> 00:29:57,419 the tigers have established their territory in the enclosure. 306 00:29:57,862 --> 00:30:01,559 How would they react to another of their own species? 307 00:30:02,300 --> 00:30:04,666 Yudin and Hornocker set up an experiment 308 00:30:04,803 --> 00:30:07,601 involving a full-sized model tiger. 309 00:30:07,839 --> 00:30:09,466 "Okay. A little more." 310 00:30:10,809 --> 00:30:13,369 "I'm interested to see what you think of this, Victor. 311 00:30:13,945 --> 00:30:15,378 Is that as big as Kuchur?" 312 00:30:15,513 --> 00:30:17,003 "Yes..." 313 00:30:18,316 --> 00:30:21,114 "These will match right up on the right side. 314 00:30:21,252 --> 00:30:25,518 You got that back there?" 315 00:30:25,957 --> 00:30:28,118 "Yeah, it's good." 316 00:30:28,459 --> 00:30:30,017 "Yeah, that's a good fit. 317 00:30:30,461 --> 00:30:34,795 Okay, let's see what it looks like standing up." 318 00:30:42,841 --> 00:30:45,139 Victor's dogs are convinced. 319 00:30:45,276 --> 00:30:48,074 They immediately recognize an arch enemy. 320 00:31:03,595 --> 00:31:08,259 Tigers in the wild are solitary animals and fiercely territorial. 321 00:31:08,666 --> 00:31:11,567 Is this behavior innate or learned? 322 00:31:11,703 --> 00:31:14,900 And, if innate, how soon does it develop? 323 00:31:15,907 --> 00:31:19,343 The reaction to an intruder by the captive-raised tigers 324 00:31:19,477 --> 00:31:21,445 may help provide an answer. 325 00:31:25,750 --> 00:31:28,378 The scale model is covered with tiger urine, 326 00:31:28,519 --> 00:31:31,113 the scent that establishes territory. 327 00:31:39,530 --> 00:31:43,466 Recordings of tiger calls will be played into the enclosure. 328 00:31:45,270 --> 00:31:47,329 The stage is set. 329 00:32:08,192 --> 00:32:10,956 Kuchur, the male, is curious. 330 00:32:11,195 --> 00:32:15,825 He spends hours observing this strange creature. 331 00:32:21,439 --> 00:32:25,068 But by light of day, Kuchur keeps his distance. 332 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,207 It's only overnight that the researchers discover 333 00:32:31,349 --> 00:32:34,910 the tigers' real attitude towards the intruder. 334 00:32:35,219 --> 00:32:39,622 Every shred of color has been ripped from the model's skin. 335 00:32:40,658 --> 00:32:43,126 Only when the model no longer looked like a tiger, 336 00:32:43,261 --> 00:32:45,559 did Kuchur leave it alone. 337 00:32:46,664 --> 00:32:50,998 The defense of his territory is already a powerful instinct. 338 00:33:05,984 --> 00:33:11,217 It was the long Siberian winter that created the tigers of the snow, 339 00:33:11,422 --> 00:33:16,416 demanding robust size, padded paws and thick fur. 340 00:33:16,761 --> 00:33:19,355 But it is also winter when they are hunted, 341 00:33:19,697 --> 00:33:24,259 when they are most easily seen... this time by a scientist. 342 00:33:24,802 --> 00:33:29,068 "We've had to develop and evolve all our techniques here. 343 00:33:29,207 --> 00:33:31,641 No one had ever worked with Siberian tigers before. 344 00:33:31,776 --> 00:33:35,712 So, we utilized foot-snaring to capture the tiger 345 00:33:35,847 --> 00:33:37,280 and it's worked very successfully. 346 00:33:37,415 --> 00:33:39,747 But, some of them are becoming very trap-shy, 347 00:33:39,884 --> 00:33:43,718 some of them have become very, uh, difficult to capture... 348 00:33:43,855 --> 00:33:47,621 So in order to maintain the continuity of our data collection, 349 00:33:47,759 --> 00:33:50,387 in order to keep track of certain individuals 350 00:33:50,528 --> 00:33:52,860 we've had to utilize helicopters." 351 00:33:55,199 --> 00:33:58,498 The hunt begins to re-collar certain tigers. 352 00:33:58,836 --> 00:34:01,327 The information the collars provide is critical 353 00:34:01,472 --> 00:34:05,533 to understanding the boundaries required for the tiger's survival. 354 00:34:08,846 --> 00:34:11,144 Their territories are extensive. 355 00:34:11,282 --> 00:34:14,683 Females may range up to two hundred square miles, 356 00:34:14,819 --> 00:34:17,481 males perhaps five hundred. 357 00:34:18,322 --> 00:34:22,258 Losing contact with a study animal is their greatest fear. 358 00:34:22,593 --> 00:34:25,721 Each one is precious to the scientists. 359 00:34:25,963 --> 00:34:30,093 "The collars we put on animals last about two to two-and-a-half years 360 00:34:30,234 --> 00:34:32,532 and then the batteries, lithium batteries run out, 361 00:34:32,670 --> 00:34:34,467 so they simply need to be replaced. 362 00:34:34,972 --> 00:34:39,102 Once we've invested two years in an animal gathering information, 363 00:34:39,243 --> 00:34:42,406 that animal becomes very valuable to us because it has a history. 364 00:34:42,713 --> 00:34:45,807 And the longer we can maintain contact with an animal, 365 00:34:45,950 --> 00:34:48,475 the more we learn about its life-history patterns: 366 00:34:48,619 --> 00:34:51,486 How often it has young, how long they live, 367 00:34:51,622 --> 00:34:53,647 its whole life history." 368 00:34:58,162 --> 00:35:00,426 The pilot spots something below. 369 00:35:02,300 --> 00:35:05,463 It's a wild boar running for its life. 370 00:35:07,071 --> 00:35:09,596 And in pursuit a tiger. 371 00:35:20,051 --> 00:35:22,815 Tigers miss most of their prey. 372 00:35:23,087 --> 00:35:27,456 This time the helicopter provides a distraction, saving the boar. 373 00:35:28,759 --> 00:35:31,489 The tiger is not amused. 374 00:35:43,774 --> 00:35:47,870 Eventually they pick up the strong signal of another familiar tiger. 375 00:35:56,521 --> 00:36:00,252 It is olga, mother of the cub found in the den. 376 00:36:01,025 --> 00:36:05,894 The helicopter quickly searches the area hoping to spot her cub, Sasha. 377 00:36:11,569 --> 00:36:17,235 And Sasha is there - no longer a small cub, but thriving well. 378 00:36:20,711 --> 00:36:23,339 The young are raised by the mother alone. 379 00:36:23,481 --> 00:36:26,712 Sasha will stay with her for eighteen to twenty months 380 00:36:26,851 --> 00:36:30,378 until it's time to establish his own home range. 381 00:36:34,492 --> 00:36:36,187 The search continues for Kouza 382 00:36:36,327 --> 00:36:39,922 a young male who has outgrown his radio collar. 383 00:36:40,331 --> 00:36:43,789 Kouza is just beginning to mark off his territory 384 00:36:43,935 --> 00:36:47,393 and it's difficult to Know the extent of his range. 385 00:36:48,439 --> 00:36:53,138 Tranquilizing a Siberian tiger is not an exact science. 386 00:36:53,277 --> 00:36:56,041 The size of the tiger, its mood - 387 00:36:56,180 --> 00:37:00,173 and the placement of the dart can influence the drug's effectiveness. 388 00:37:00,518 --> 00:37:02,577 Always, out of concern for the tiger, 389 00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:06,417 the team tries to inject a minimal amount. 390 00:37:20,504 --> 00:37:23,940 After long hours and much precious fuel, 391 00:37:24,075 --> 00:37:25,667 the tiger is spotted. 392 00:37:26,444 --> 00:37:30,744 In pursuit, the helicopter must fly very low over dense forest - 393 00:37:30,881 --> 00:37:32,712 a dangerous maneuver. 394 00:37:37,054 --> 00:37:40,785 It's a far cry from hunting on foot for Bart Schleyer. 395 00:37:41,125 --> 00:37:44,356 "There's usually just a real narrow opportunity to dart 396 00:37:44,495 --> 00:37:47,328 and sometimes there's a limb in the way 397 00:37:47,465 --> 00:37:49,160 and there's been a number of times 398 00:37:49,300 --> 00:37:53,703 when I probably could have gotten a dart into an animal, 399 00:37:53,838 --> 00:37:56,671 but I'm too worried about a deflection of the dart 400 00:37:56,807 --> 00:38:01,437 and having the, the dart deflect into a improper placement in the animal 401 00:38:01,579 --> 00:38:04,207 which would injure it, which we don't want. 402 00:38:04,348 --> 00:38:10,412 So, I'm real, real stressed by trying to get a proper hit on an animal." 403 00:38:22,199 --> 00:38:24,463 As the tiger moves deeper into the forest, 404 00:38:24,602 --> 00:38:29,335 the helicopter follows so closely it almost touches the tree tops. 405 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:33,371 "The pilots we're using, I'm real confident in the pilots 406 00:38:33,511 --> 00:38:36,275 because you are operating real close to tree level 407 00:38:36,414 --> 00:38:40,316 and you just hope that the pilots can see what's going on, 408 00:38:40,451 --> 00:38:44,148 around behind them particularly with their back rotor 409 00:38:44,588 --> 00:38:47,955 and particularly the other day when we were in close on one of the tigers, 410 00:38:48,092 --> 00:38:49,821 there was a conifer tree 411 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:54,727 that was actually almost butted right up against the helicopter." 412 00:38:57,535 --> 00:38:59,867 The first shot is a clean hit. 413 00:39:02,306 --> 00:39:06,640 They hover patiently waiting for the tranquilizer to take effect. 414 00:39:07,111 --> 00:39:11,070 But they can't wait too long - for they're running low on fuel. 415 00:39:34,505 --> 00:39:37,030 Bart fires another dart into the tiger. 416 00:39:37,308 --> 00:39:40,141 Most big cats need two doses. 417 00:39:40,378 --> 00:39:43,040 And the second one appears to take effect. 418 00:39:45,416 --> 00:39:49,147 Bart and Rybin Nikolai must quickly be landed. 419 00:39:49,286 --> 00:39:51,584 This too is a dangerous maneuver. 420 00:39:51,889 --> 00:39:54,824 But they can't leave the tiger sedated for long. 421 00:40:08,506 --> 00:40:10,406 The pilot is very concerned now. 422 00:40:10,541 --> 00:40:12,372 They must refuel. 423 00:40:12,676 --> 00:40:15,304 He radios Bart to abort the mission. 424 00:40:15,613 --> 00:40:18,377 But Bart insists - for the tiger's well being - 425 00:40:18,516 --> 00:40:22,282 they must remain below and finish the job now. 426 00:40:22,987 --> 00:40:25,785 The helicopter races back to refuel. 427 00:40:30,628 --> 00:40:34,928 As they slowly approach the tiger, their worst fears are realized. 428 00:40:36,434 --> 00:40:38,425 The tiger is up and moving. 429 00:40:38,836 --> 00:40:41,236 The dosage was insufficient. 430 00:40:46,944 --> 00:40:50,710 Still, they must get a closer look to make sure he's all right. 431 00:41:00,090 --> 00:41:01,717 They proceed with caution 432 00:41:01,859 --> 00:41:03,053 Knowing they are intruding 433 00:41:03,194 --> 00:41:07,221 in a fierce young tiger's newly claimed territory. 434 00:41:09,733 --> 00:41:13,260 Kouza appears groggy but otherwise all right. 435 00:41:13,637 --> 00:41:16,003 But he's much too dangerous to follow. 436 00:41:18,375 --> 00:41:21,469 Now they can only await the helicopter's return. 437 00:41:21,712 --> 00:41:24,579 And hope the young tiger has seen enough of them. 438 00:41:38,395 --> 00:41:40,693 For now, the tiger has eluded them, 439 00:41:40,831 --> 00:41:43,356 but at least they Know where he can be found. 440 00:41:43,701 --> 00:41:47,262 Eventually, he'll be located and fitted with a new collar. 441 00:41:49,740 --> 00:41:51,537 At last, they are brought aboard - 442 00:41:51,675 --> 00:41:55,873 to the relative safety of a helicopter hovering in the tree-tops. 443 00:42:02,419 --> 00:42:06,150 Not long after, they spot a tigress named Marivana. 444 00:42:06,557 --> 00:42:08,081 She is very aggressive - 445 00:42:08,225 --> 00:42:11,353 and even climbs a tree to attack the helicopter. 446 00:42:14,665 --> 00:42:18,192 She only provides a better target for Bart Schleyer. 447 00:42:26,043 --> 00:42:30,946 Unlike the larger male, a single dose sedates the tigress quickly. 448 00:42:34,718 --> 00:42:37,152 "Let's take blood and that's about it..." 449 00:42:40,090 --> 00:42:42,786 The old collar is measured against the new one - 450 00:42:42,927 --> 00:42:45,293 which is given an extra notch for growth. 451 00:42:57,308 --> 00:43:00,744 They carefully monitor her heart rate and respiration. 452 00:43:02,379 --> 00:43:03,676 "Where's that? 10?" 453 00:43:03,814 --> 00:43:04,906 "That's right..." 454 00:43:07,418 --> 00:43:09,010 Mission accomplished. 455 00:43:09,153 --> 00:43:13,988 The new collar will provide crucial data for at least another two years. 456 00:43:22,566 --> 00:43:25,057 Not far from the cold, forbidding wild, 457 00:43:25,202 --> 00:43:29,036 the success of the venture is celebrated - Russian style! 458 00:43:29,506 --> 00:43:31,804 It's also Bart Schleyer's birthday. 459 00:43:33,243 --> 00:43:34,801 For American and Russian alike 460 00:43:34,945 --> 00:43:40,941 it's a camaraderie born of years of shared dangers and shared dreams. 461 00:43:59,637 --> 00:44:04,597 At Victor Yudin's compound winter has transformed the enclosure. 462 00:44:07,645 --> 00:44:11,672 The Siberian winter seems to invigorate the captive tigers. 463 00:44:12,783 --> 00:44:17,311 This is truly the season of the Tigers of the Snow. 464 00:44:36,907 --> 00:44:38,374 As Victor Yudin observes, 465 00:44:38,509 --> 00:44:42,138 Kuchur, the male, continues to stake out his territory, 466 00:44:42,279 --> 00:44:44,907 spraying the trees with his scent. 467 00:44:45,716 --> 00:44:50,380 In what is called a 'flehmen' the female tests the air for his scent. 468 00:44:51,021 --> 00:44:54,582 Then it's Kuchur's turn to detect if his mate is in heat... 469 00:44:57,494 --> 00:44:59,086 And she is. 470 00:44:59,229 --> 00:45:02,392 Niurka, the female, initiates the coupling. 471 00:45:02,666 --> 00:45:05,897 And so the mating period begins. 472 00:45:12,609 --> 00:45:15,840 "If we succeed in getting young cubs it would be great, 473 00:45:15,979 --> 00:45:18,174 because then we can develop the best methods 474 00:45:18,315 --> 00:45:21,682 for returning the young tigers back into the wild. 475 00:45:24,621 --> 00:45:26,213 We'll try to bring them up in natural conditions 476 00:45:26,356 --> 00:45:30,884 so they will more easily adapt to joining the wild tiger population 477 00:45:31,028 --> 00:45:32,962 here in the reserve." 478 00:45:38,268 --> 00:45:39,860 As for a successful mating, 479 00:45:40,003 --> 00:45:43,530 all Dr. Yudin can do is hope for results. 480 00:45:58,122 --> 00:46:02,183 Victor's wife, Lena, has a special relationship with the tigers. 481 00:46:02,326 --> 00:46:04,920 She's nurtured them since they were cubs. 482 00:46:05,195 --> 00:46:06,719 When they must be brought in at night 483 00:46:06,864 --> 00:46:08,832 because of the dangers of poaching, 484 00:46:08,966 --> 00:46:12,231 only their Babushka can lure them home. 485 00:46:52,843 --> 00:46:56,244 Over the next few days, the tigers breed often. 486 00:46:56,380 --> 00:46:59,679 Sometimes dozens of times a day. 487 00:46:59,983 --> 00:47:04,579 At last, the breeding ends, and Niurka moves into her den. 488 00:47:05,055 --> 00:47:08,855 She should give birth in about a hundred days. 489 00:47:19,703 --> 00:47:22,171 Springtime in Siberia. 490 00:47:22,673 --> 00:47:25,141 Dr. Hornocker receives word from Victor Yudin 491 00:47:25,275 --> 00:47:27,300 that Niurka has given birth. 492 00:47:29,112 --> 00:47:30,670 But something's wrong. 493 00:47:39,790 --> 00:47:43,556 Victor's observed that the mother is not taking care of her cubs. 494 00:47:45,495 --> 00:47:49,056 This is not uncommon when big cats give birth in captivity. 495 00:47:54,771 --> 00:47:57,604 "Does Victor think she's fed them at all?" 496 00:48:01,345 --> 00:48:02,573 "Probably not." 497 00:48:03,747 --> 00:48:07,342 "Then we better go in and look, Victor." 498 00:48:07,985 --> 00:48:12,251 They isolate the mother, Niurka, so they can safely approach the den. 499 00:48:27,137 --> 00:48:32,200 One of the cubs is up and about but looks hungry and unkempt. 500 00:48:32,676 --> 00:48:37,045 The other cub is barely moving and Victor is clearly concerned. 501 00:48:42,719 --> 00:48:44,084 "How is he?" 502 00:48:46,823 --> 00:48:50,691 "Yeah, oh yeah, the poor little guy." 503 00:49:04,508 --> 00:49:06,499 Suddenly, the cub stops breathing. 504 00:49:09,680 --> 00:49:13,013 Victor rushes it inside where he will try to revive it. 505 00:49:28,999 --> 00:49:32,867 It appears the mother has neither groomed nor nursed her cubs 506 00:49:33,003 --> 00:49:35,267 and this one is near death. 507 00:49:39,409 --> 00:49:42,901 With infinite patience, Victor massages the heart. 508 00:49:43,046 --> 00:49:47,107 Hoping - against all odds - to bring the cub back to life. 509 00:50:16,913 --> 00:50:22,146 The mortality rate of Siberian tiger cubs can be up to thirty percent. 510 00:50:23,053 --> 00:50:25,385 With so few born in the wild, 511 00:50:25,522 --> 00:50:29,549 the survival of captive cub is critical to the species. 512 00:50:39,603 --> 00:50:41,230 One cub is lost, 513 00:50:41,371 --> 00:50:45,808 but her brother - under Victor's tender nursing - recuperates quickly. 514 00:50:46,777 --> 00:50:48,745 He's named the cub Globus - 515 00:50:48,879 --> 00:50:51,074 for a world that cares about him, 516 00:50:51,214 --> 00:50:53,705 even if his own mother hasn't learned to. 517 00:51:15,705 --> 00:51:18,640 Eventually Globus will be brought to the United States 518 00:51:18,775 --> 00:51:21,539 as part of a captive breeding program. 519 00:51:26,249 --> 00:51:28,410 When he is, he'll be following other cubs, 520 00:51:28,552 --> 00:51:31,453 orphaned in Siberia and sent by Dr. Hornocker 521 00:51:31,588 --> 00:51:34,682 to the snows of omaha, Nebraska. 522 00:51:35,058 --> 00:51:38,221 They're now part of the world's most successful breeding program 523 00:51:38,361 --> 00:51:40,261 for large predators. 524 00:51:40,730 --> 00:51:41,856 The tigers are bred here 525 00:51:41,998 --> 00:51:45,490 with the goal of returning the cubs back to the wild. 526 00:51:47,204 --> 00:51:50,071 But what kind of environment will await them? 527 00:51:55,412 --> 00:51:56,242 Back in Russia, 528 00:51:56,379 --> 00:52:01,646 Dr. Hornocker strives to educate Siberia's future caretakers. 529 00:52:02,752 --> 00:52:06,654 "If we're to save these big carnivores as the world population increases, 530 00:52:06,790 --> 00:52:09,224 we must convince the younger generation 531 00:52:09,359 --> 00:52:11,486 that it's worthwhile conserving them. 532 00:52:11,628 --> 00:52:13,755 It's always so rewarding to me 533 00:52:13,897 --> 00:52:17,389 and gratifying to see how children accept this. 534 00:52:17,534 --> 00:52:19,559 They really love these big animals. 535 00:52:19,703 --> 00:52:21,136 They want to save them. 536 00:52:21,271 --> 00:52:22,499 And if we can convince them 537 00:52:22,639 --> 00:52:27,702 that it's in their best interest then it's to their advantage and to ours." 538 00:52:29,279 --> 00:52:32,476 Soon, much of this magnificent forest - 539 00:52:32,616 --> 00:52:35,141 the Siberian tiger's last domain - 540 00:52:35,285 --> 00:52:39,779 may be cut down for a world hungry for lumber. 541 00:52:41,024 --> 00:52:44,050 But the years of difficult and dangerous study have given birth 542 00:52:44,194 --> 00:52:49,655 to a plan to save the forest... by saving the tiger in the wild. 543 00:52:50,433 --> 00:52:54,460 Selecting the tiger as the umbrella species to be saved 544 00:52:54,704 --> 00:52:59,232 means that the forest surrounding the reserve must also be protected. 545 00:52:59,743 --> 00:53:02,735 But in a land of political uncertainty, 546 00:53:02,879 --> 00:53:05,439 there are no guarantees. 547 00:53:06,249 --> 00:53:08,979 Poised on the edge of extinction, 548 00:53:09,119 --> 00:53:13,783 the tiger of the snow evokes an old Russian proverb: 549 00:53:14,057 --> 00:53:17,959 Hope is the last to die.