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A wounded tiger has amazed wildlife experts by coming out of the wild to seek human help after he was wounded.

The tiger, known as Tikhon, suddenly appeared at a remote Russian border post on the frontier with China over the New Year period, and refused to leave.

Even when the border guards - part of the FSB security service, formerly called the KGB - fired warning gunshots, the cat stayed put.

The alpha male, believed to be aged 15 or older, is said to have defied his instincts to seek human help after being wounded.

(Image: Land of Leopard/The Siberian Tim) (Image: TRNGO Center 'Tiger'/The Siberia)

Tikhon is credited with playing a major role in halting the looming extinction of the Siberian big cat.

During the “active male’s” unusually long life, the highly endangered population of Amur - or Siberian - tigers rose from less than 350 to more than 550.

While waiting for help, the tiger fed himself by killing and eating two guard dogs belonging to the frontier guards.

Despite attempts to scare him away, Tikhon was still in the vicinity five days later.

Wildlife rangers were called in and noted the “atypical” behaviour by the Siberian tiger, a species endemic to the Far East of Russia that normally shuns human contact.

(Image: Land of Leopard/The Siberian Tim)

“It arrived at the border post - in the Land of the Leopard National Park - on 29 December and showed no desire to leave,” reports The Siberian Times.



Sergey Aramilev, director of the Amur Tiger Centre, praised the border guards for not shooting the animal.

The behaviour of the tiger showed that after a lifetime in the wild this was “an animal that came to them for help”, he said.

A video shows how rangers shot a sedative into the big cat.

(Image: TRNGO Center 'Tiger'/The Siberia)

The beast was later transported to a big cat rehabilitation centre - but experts now think that after a lifetime on the prowl, the tiger knew his time was up.

“The captured tiger is at least 15 years old, and maybe even older,” said Aramilev.

“By tiger standards, he is a deep old man, especially in the wild.”

(Image: TRNGO Center 'Tiger'/The Siberia)

An assessment will be made of injuries or diseases.

He said: “Now we are waiting for the results of tests that will allow us to understand what to do next.

“But, apparently, the beast due to age will not be able to return to the wild.”