Amur tiger in Kazakhstan after being released into the wildernessThe caspian tiger was considered extinct in the 1970s after decades of fur hunting, habitat destruction and eradication campaigns. What became known as the caspian tiger spread west from Siberia and were separated from the amur tiger by a single letter of genetic code. Today, it would be practically impossible for the caspian tiger to re-establish its former range. Wild tigers have suffered a catastrophic century, with numbers falling from about 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to about 5,500 today. Ensuring there is enough food for the returning caspian tigers is key to their survival, says Miquelle.