Near extinct Siberian tiger footprints found in northeast China raise hopes local population is on the road to recovery
- Siberian tigers were once thought to be extinct in China, but the population has shown signs of recovery in recent years
- Human activity is attributed to 80% of the population’s decline
Siberian tiger footprints found in northeast China raised an intriguing possibility that efforts to preserve natural environments in the area may have helped the iconic big cat return to a territory it had long since left.
The footprints were initially discovered by police patrolling the local border, after which they called the regional Forestry and Grassland Bureau.
Upon further analysis, the footprints, measuring about 10cm in length and width, were preliminarily determined they belonged to a Siberian (Amur) tiger.
Siberian tigers are one of the most endangered carnivores on the planet, with only an estimated 50 living in the area spanning northeast China and the far west of Russia.
However, despite their dire situation, the region has had some small success stories. For example, the Siberian tiger population at the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, which is around 500km away from where the new prints were found, has doubled since 2017, according to Sixth Tone, a mainland news outlet.
