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Siberian Tigers

WILDLIFE

Everything you need to know about a Siberian Tiger Safari

The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), or Amur tiger, is the largest feline predator in the world, with males reaching over 4 metres in length and weighing up to 300 kg. Found in the frozen forests of the Russian Far East, these tigers are perfectly adapted to extreme cold, with thick pale-orange coats, heavy fur on their paws, and muscular builds that allow them to stalk silently through snow-covered terrain.

Once hunted to the brink of extinction, Siberian tigers are now classified as Endangered, with only around 500–600 surviving in the wild. Conservation has become central to their survival: anti-poaching patrols, habitat protection, and scientific monitoring have helped stabilise numbers, but they remain highly vulnerable. By travelling to the Russian taiga, guests directly support these efforts, showing the value of living tigers in protecting one of the last true wildernesses on Earth.

RUS St Russia Siberian Tiger Ondrej Prosicky

As Will Bolsover, our founder and tiger-tracking specialist, explains:

“A Siberian tiger safari is about far more than sightings — it’s about being in the same habitat as these magnificent big cats, learning from conservationists, and understanding the immense challenges of protecting them. When you see their tracks in the snow or a camera-trap image showing a tiger moving silently through the forest, you realise just how important this work is.”
TIG St Russia Siberian Tiger Miroslav Chytil

When is the Best Time to See Siberian Tigers?


The best time for Siberian tiger safaris is winter, between December and March. Snow cover makes their pugmarks (tracks) easier to follow, prey animals move into valleys, and tigers are more active during daylight. The stark contrast of their orange-and-black coats against snowy landscapes also makes sightings more likely.

Winter also offers the most atmospheric conditions: frozen rivers, snow-laden trees, and the sharp silence of the taiga, broken only by the call of ravens or the distant howl of wolves.

Where Do Siberian Tigers Live?

Siberian tigers inhabit the Russian Far East, primarily in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains near Vladivostok and the Amur River basin. Small populations also exist in northeast China and possibly along the North Korean border. Their habitat is the vast taiga, a remote and sparsely populated wilderness of coniferous forests, ridges, and frozen valleys.

This isolation makes encounters rare, but it also keeps the habitat wild and unspoiled. Safaris here follow tiger tracks through the snow, using camera traps and ranger expertise to increase the chances of finding these elusive cats.

Where to find Siberian Tigers?

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