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Veterinarians have started treatment on an exhausted Amur tiger cub found in the Khabarovsk region and taken to the rehabilitation center for wild animals in the village of Razdolnoye in southern Primorye, a statement from the Tiger Inspectorate reported on Tuesday.

The female cub, approximately five or six months old, was spotted near a private home in the town of Vyazemsk, Khabarovsk region, on January 19. When the home owners returned to their residence, they discovered the wild cat had killed a guard dog and entered its house, prompting them to call the police who in turn called the Inspectorate specialists.

The environmentalists failed to locate the cub’s mother, who was most likely killed by poachers, the statement said.

The cub’s condition is reported as weak due to an extended period of time without food and although the tiger has begun to eat, there is still a high risk of her not surviving. The wild cat is currently receiving treatment, with antibiotics, glucose and vitamins added to the food to strengthen her immune system.

In 2007, a total of eight orphan tiger cubs were found in the wild of the Russian Far East by environmentalists, their mothers most likely been killed by illegal hunters. The two previous cubs, found in Primorye in mid December, did not survive. Five of the rescued felines received treatment and were taken to Russian and foreign zoos.

According to the Tiger Inspectorate specialists, since the beginning of 2006 Primorye poachers have killed over ten Amur tigers, with their skins being valuable items in Asian countries and body parts used in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine.

The Amur tiger is considered an endangered species, with most of its population inhabiting Primorye and southern Khabarovsk region. Currently, there are only about 450 wild cats in the territory.