Population of Siberian tigers in China bouncing back with restoration of habitats: national administration

This photo taken on May 22, 2023, shows Siberian tiger cubs at the Siberian Tiger Park in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The Siberian Tiger Park is a key breeding base of the China Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Center. More than 10 newborn cubs have been born here this year. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

The population of Siberian tigers in China is growing following a concerted effort to save the endangered species, and the construction of a national park-based system that has provided a suitable habitat for tigers.

China has four subspecies of tigers, Siberian tiger, Indochinese tiger, Bengal tiger, and South China tiger, making it the country with the most tiger subspecies.

Over recent years, the country has continuously strengthened tiger conservation efforts through a series of effective measures, including establishing a series of natural reserves and management stations in the wild tiger distribution areas, designating important tiger habitats, strengthening habitat patrols and monitoring, the Global Times learned from National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) on Monday, which also marks International Tiger Day.

China has built a Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park covering an area of 1.41 million square kilometers, putting in place an integrated "sky and ground" monitoring system.

The enhancement of tiger habitats has effectively protected the largest population and the only stable breeding family of tigers in China. Within the national park, the tiger population has grown to around 70, and in 2023, eight breeding families and over 20 cubs were recorded, with a distribution range exceeding 11,000 square kilometers, about 80 percent of the total area of the park.

The government remains committed to improving the scientific rescue process and standards for endangered species such as the Siberian tiger, as well as establishing a system for the prevention and diagnosis of common diseases, according to the NFGA.

Measures have been implemented to strictly prohibit the sale, purchase, import, and export of tigers and their products, and to disrupt the poaching, smuggling, and illegal trade of tiger products. China is actively engaging in international cooperation and exchanges with countries where tigers are distributed.

In March this year, China and Russia jointly established a research lab on Siberian tiger conservation at Northeast Forestry University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

The lab encompasses research areas such as wildlife ecology and management, Siberian tiger feeding and breeding, and wildlife genetics.

Also known as the Amur tiger, the Siberian tiger is one of the most endangered animals in the world and a rare species of the forest ecosystem mainly living in Russia's Far East and Northeast China. About 500 Siberian tigers are believed to be living in the wild, according to Xinhua News Agency.