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Evidence of South China Tigers in Hubei
Chinese scientists have confirmed the existence of South China tigers in central China's Hubei Province.
Experts from the Life Sciences Institute of Huazhong Teachers' University and the Wuhan Botanical Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences carried out investigations in the Mount Qizimei nature reserve for 12 days, and found evidence of South China tigers there, said Wu Faqing, an associate professor of the Life Sciences Institute.
On November 29 last year, a local farmer named Chen Qishan lost an ox. The tail and bones of an ox were found in the reserve, along with tufts of tiger fur.
Early this year, Wu Hanlin, a 58-year-old farmer, claimed to have seen a tiger more than one meter long, and tiger roars have been reported in the area, sounding like those of a female tiger and a cub.
During February and March this year, wild boars, which used to be common in the area, disappeared. Zoologists said that this indicates the presence of tigers.
The South China tiger is listed as one of the ten most endangered species in the world. It is estimated that there are only 20 to 30 such tigers known to be in the wild. Another 53 are in captivity in China.
In the 1950s and 1960s, South China tigers were spotted in the Mount Qizimei nature reserve.
In the 1970s, no such tigers were spotted.
The zoologists say that a ban on hunting in the area has probably lured the tigers back.
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