article_snippet: A portrait of a rare Amur tiger family captured on film in the wild has provided clues that the notoriously solitary male big cats may play a role in rearing cubs.
article_snippet: Scroll down for video of the tiger family passing the camera trap .
article_snippet: several images could help scientists learn new details of the role male tigers play in rearing male tigers young.
article_snippet: Dr Svetlana Soutyrina, deputy director for scientific programs at the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve who set the camera traps, said: 'Dr Svetlana Soutyrina, deputy director for scientific programs at the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve who set the camera traps have collected hundreds of photos of tigers over the years, but this is the first time Dr Svetlana Soutyrina, deputy director for scientific programs at the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve who set the camera traps have recorded a family together.
article_snippet: These images confirm that male Amur tigers do participate in family life, at least occasionally, and we were lucky enough to capture one such moment.'
article_snippet: There have been a few rare examples of male Bengal tigers taking an active role in parenting in the past but it has never been seen in Amur tigers.
article_snippet: In 2011 a male was found to be caring for a pair of orphaned cubs in the Ranthambore tiger reserve in Rajasthan, India.
article_snippet: However, such behaviour is extremely rare and more commonly male tigers will kill the cubs of another male to reduce competition.
article_snippet: After mating male tigers tend to leave a female to rear the cubs herself but will provide protection for mating male tigers while mating male tigers remain inside a female to rear the cubs herself territory.
article_snippet: Jonathan Slaght, , Russia Program Project Manager for the Wildlife Conservation Society, said: 'Male Amur tigers, which have home ranges that typically overlap the home ranges of several females, try to associate with those females as those females patrol those females own territories. '
article_snippet: However, considering that an adult male Amur tiger has a home range between 1,000-2,000 square kilometers, and an adult female has a territory about 400 square kilometers, having a camera trap in the right place at the right time to document this—especially with young in tow—is incredibly rare. '
article_snippet: In fact, this behaviour of an adult male Amur tiger traveling with a family unit of a female and a female cubs has never been photographed before.'
article_snippet: The Amur tiger cubs, two of which can be seen above, followed closely in their parents footsteps, triggering the camera trap ( as their passed .
article_snippet: Dr Dale Miquelle, east Russia director for Wildlife Conservation Society, said: 'This is the first time such behaviour has been photographed for Amur tigers in the wild. '
article_snippet: These photos provide a small vignette of social interactions of Amur tigers, and provide an evocative snapshot of life in the wild for these magnificent animals.'
highlights_snippet: Large adult male tigers usually have several mates within Large adult male tigers territory and leave females to raise Large adult male tigers cubs alone .
  
highlights_snippet: The new picture suggests that male tigers may play a far greater role in rearing cubs than was previously believed .