"One of the main reasons why tigers are driven to human villages is the decreasing numbers of deer in the taiga, depleted by the snowy winters of 2001-2002 and 2002-2003," said Boris Litvinov, chief of the Conflict Tiger group.

Fortunately, this year's registered eight cases of tigers attacking livestock in remote villages were resolved peacefully, with humans compensated and tigers soon leaving to hunt in the taiga, Litvinov said.

The Amur tiger, named after the major river that runs through the region, is threatened with extinction, with only 450 remaining in the Vladivostok area.

Amur tigers have been hard hit by deforestation in the taiga, their natural habitat, and by poachers, who can reportedly earn up to 20,000 dollars for a single hide, according to global environmental pressure group WWF.

The shortage of mother tigers means that the species could die out within the next 30 years, experts believe.

TERRA.WIRE