Man Killed by Siberian Tiger That Attacked His Pet: Officials

A Russian man whose dog was killed by a Siberian tiger was later killed by the same animal. 

The 76-year-old villager who lived in a remote part of the country had followed the animal’s tracks after the tiger wandered into Obor and dragged the man’s dog away, according to a Telegram post on Monday from the Amur Tiger Center, a nonprofit animal protection organization.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Upon finding the Siberian tiger in a nearby forest, the victim, who has yet to be publicly identified, was also mauled to death. His body was found with signs of an animal attack in the remote Khabarovsk territory, police in the region said.

The elderly man had followed the big cat "for a considerable distance" before he met the same fate as his dog. Police said “an animal’s impact” could be observed. 

"Presumably, the animal regarded this as a threat" and fatally attacked the man, the center said. The man was found dead near the remains of his dog, officials said.

"We express our sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased," the tiger center said in a statement.

Local officials and specialists from the Khabarovsk region’s hunting authority are investigating the incident and will decide if the tiger should be removed from the wild. 

According to the Amur Tiger Center, Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are the largest and one of the rarest tiger subspecies. They are the only subspecies of the tiger that can live in the snow at strong negative temperatures.

The Denver Zoo adds that Siberian tigers' retractable claws can reach “up to 4 inches in length.” Their canine teeth “are 2.5-3 inches long — longer than any other predator,” and they can grow to enormous sizes. 

Males can reach up to 12 feet in length, including a two to three-foot tail, with females growing up to 9 feet long. Male Siberian tigers can also weigh anywhere from 400-700 pounds, while females can weigh up to 370 pounds.

The large animals are listed as endangered and fewer than 500 Siberian tigers remain in the wild although there are several hundred in captivity, CBS News reports.

“Authorities in the Khabarovsk region have reported nearly 300 cases of tigers entering populated areas this year, and in some instances, the wild animals have killed dogs and attacked people,” the Moscow Times reports.