Episode 45: Eye of the tiger: the Amur tiger’s fight for survival against a deadly virus
Amur, or Siberian, tigers are up against a fearsome set of foes in their fight for survival. Already endangered due to poaching and habitat fragmentation, these fierce felines – the largest cats in the world – are being threatened by a deadly virus of mysterious origins.
Since 2010, canine distemper virus has killed a number of Amur tigers, leading researchers to ask: Is this a new virus affecting tigers, or have we just not detected it previously? Where is it coming from? Is there anything we can do to help stop it?
Naturally Speaking catches up with the Institutes’s Dr Martin Gilbert (@mgilbertmartin) to learn about his PhD research on this deadly virus affecting Amur tigers in the Russian Far East, and what this means for tiger conservation.
Don’t forget you can subscribe to automatically receive all our latest content, or just our podcasts.Intro and outro music sampled from: “The Curtain Rises” and “Early Riser” Kevin MacLeod [CC BY 3.0]
Photo: ‘Daydreamer’ by Valerie, via Flickr; https://flic.kr/p/4Kg7w6
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