Traces of a wild Siberian tiger found in NE China

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Forest rangers and experts have recorded the activities of a wild male Siberian tiger eight times since 2016 at a major forest near the city of Muling, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

Siberian tiger looking from behind a tree. /VCG Photo

As the world's most endangered species, Siberian tigers live mainly in east Russia, northeast China and northern parts of the Korean Peninsula. Less than 500 are believed to be living in the wild, with around 20 in China.

Two Siberian tigers are playing in the snow. /VCG Photo

"During today's patrol, we found footprints of the Siberian tiger and also a large number of footprints of wild boars. According to our analysis, the footprints were left when the Siberian tiger was chasing a group of wild boars," said Xu Wanpeng, a ranger with the Muling National Forest Management Bureau, as he carried out a patrol on Monday.

Two Siberian tigers fighting with each other in the snow. /VCG Photo‍

Siberian tigers typically prey on small bears, but it can also bring down bears larger than themselves by using their heavy bodies, sharp claws and teeth.

At the Siberian Tiger Park in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province, the world's largest center for breeding Siberian tigers, staff members put the captive tigers outdoors in winter to train their preying skills.

Siberian tiger jumping over a log. /VCG Photo

China has been trying to save the species through captive breeding and are planning to release more captive tigers into the wild. When the Siberian Tiger Park opened in 1986, it had only eight Siberian tigers and now it has more than 1,000. The number of cubs born in 2018 in the center is expected to reach 150.