Love & Cute | April 3, 2022 8:14 AM | hangbony
A Photographer Captures a Rare View of a Siberian Tiger in It’s Natural Setting
In 2013, Sascha Fonseca turned his love of animals into a vocation. The photographer, who was born in Germany and now resides in Dubai, specializes in DSLR camera traps that allow him to get unique animal perspectives. When Fonseca captured a rare Siberian tiger in its native habitat, he illustrated the potential of his camera traps.
Only about 500 of the world’s largest big cats live in the wild, making them extremely endangered. They usually live in eastern Russia’s birch forests, where Fonseca set up his camera trap in December 2021.
“Camera traps enable me to obtain close-up images of hidden species that I would not otherwise be able to obtain,” Fonseca tells My Modern Met. “Tigers are nocturnal animals, which means they are most active at night.” You could be out there for months or even years without taking a single snap. “Camera traps can be effective.”
On the other hand, Fonseca is eager to dispel the myth that setting up a camera trap is simple. “This is more than just mounting a trail camera to a tree,” he explains. “It’s like building a studio in the middle of nowhere.”
Because of his skill with camera traps, the photographer was able to quickly capture film of a male tiger he initially confused for a known male named Ostorojny. Fonseca and scholars later determined that he had photographed an undocumented man after a closer look.
As a thank you for shooting him, researchers granted Fonseca the opportunity to name the magnificent tiger. Fonseca picked the name Leo because of a prominent L pattern on his cheekbone and in honor of Russian poet Leo Tolstoy. Fonseca is grateful for the honor of naming this lovely creature. “It’s an incredible honor,” he says, “and it gives you a personal relationship with the animal.”
Fonseca believes that his research will help people understand the issues that the Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, is facing. “Only 3-4 percent of an Amur tiger’s range is preserved in wildlife reserves and national parks. The fur and body components of Siberian tigers are frequently poached for use in traditional Chinese medicine. It is nothing short of a miracle that there are still wild Siberian tigers in the world today. The Siberian tiger and its habitat deserve immediate support and protection to ensure their survival.”
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