The Amur (or Siberian) tiger is one of eight subspecies of tiger. Since the start of the 20th century tiger numbers have dwindled from an estimated 100,000 to approximately 2500 today. Four of the eight subspecies have become extinct in the wild. The smallest tiger, the Balinese tiger around 1940, the Caspian tiger around 1975 and the Javan tiger around 1980. Extensive surveys in 2001 in China failed to produce evidence of Chinese tigers surviving in the wild and no evidence has been produced since. A few Chinese tigers survive in captivity, but the small zoo population is highly inbred.

The main threats to the survival of the Amur tiger are poaching and habitat destruction. Poaching increases as the road system expands, mainly due to the continuous creation of new logging roads. New logging roads provide poachers with access to formerly remote areas. Tiger skins are both sold to rich Russians and smuggled across the border to countries in Asia. Tiger body parts are in high demand as ingredients in Traditional Asian Medicines in China, Vietnam, Korea and other Asian countries. All body parts are used. Tiger nostrils are believed to protect against bullets. Tiger bones are used to produce medicinal powders and wines that are believed to cure rheumatism, and tiger penis is considered to be a powerful aphrodisiac. As a result of the demand for tiger body parts, poachers killed as many as 60 Amur tigers annually in the early nineties. Since the early nineties poaching has declined to around 30 tigers annually today, thanks to anti-poaching activities financed by Tigris Foundation and its ALTA partners and WWF. Better control at border crossings have also played a positive role. However, poaching levels remain high in Russia; most Amur tigers do not die a natural death, but are sooner or later killed by a poacher. Our anti-poaching efforts therefore need to be maintained.