Wild tiger population on the rebound

The wild tiger population in China has shown recovery in recent years, with the number of Siberian tigers, or Northeast tigers, increasing from around 27 six years ago to about 70, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration announced on Monday, the 14th World Tiger Day.

According to data from the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, last year eight breeding families and over 20 cubs were recorded in the park, covering a distribution area of over 11,000 square kilometers, with the abundance of tiger prey more than doubling.

China began piloting the construction of the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park in the southern part of Laoyeling, at the border of Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, in 2017.

Through ecological protection, field patrols, establishment of management stations and monitoring systems, favorable conditions have been provided for the survival and reproduction of wild tigers, leading to growth in the populations of wild Siberian tigers and leopards. The number of Northeast leopards has also increased from 42 six years ago to 80, the administration said.

Both the Siberian tiger and leopard are national first-level protected wild animals and are respectively classified as endangered and critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to their extremely low population numbers.

The Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, covering 14,100 square kilometers, is the largest habitat for tiger populations in China and the only tiger habitat with stable breeding families.

Its eastern part borders the Land of the Leopard National Park in Russia and is the only national park in China tasked with cross-border protection cooperation.

Along with the protection of Siberian tigers and leopards within the national park, populations of wild animals such as brown bears, sika deer, roe deer, as well as wild plant species like ginseng, matsutake mushrooms and Chinese yew, have all shown signs of recovery, according to the administration.

yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn