Wild Siberian tiger released into wild

A wild Siberian tiger that was caught in Mishan, Heilongjiang province, in late April, was released into the wild in an area managed by the Suiling Forestry Bureau on Tuesday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

It was the first time that a wild Siberian tiger had been successfully rescued and released into the wild in China, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said.

On April 23, local police received a report that a tiger had been found in an abandoned house in Linhu village of Mishan, and had hurt a female villager working on a farm. A group of police officers and wildlife experts quickly converged on the village.

To prevent the tiger from hurting anyone else, wildlife experts tranquilized the tiger and finally captured it. A preliminary examination was carried out immediately thereafter.

The male tiger, about 3 years old, had suffered no trauma. It weighed 225 kilograms and was strong, having had good nutrition.

The tiger, which was named Wandashan-1 by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, was transported to the China Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Center in April for medical examination and health monitoring.

Experts said on Tuesday the tiger should return to the wild as soon as possible, as the evaluation and demonstration had showed that it had normal physiological indicators, with no abnormal behaviors or risk of disease.

According to the China Tiger and Leopard National Park, at least 27 wild Siberian tigers and 42 Amur leopards have been found there. The park stretches across the provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang.

The ecology has greatly improved since the natural forest protection project started in 1998. All commercial logging has been halted, which has helped to protect tigers and leopards.

Wildlife protection personnel in Heilongjiang have taken various measures, including increasing patrols and monitoring, to strengthen the protection of wild animal populations.

Experts said wild Siberian tigers have been sighted frequently in Northeast China in recent years thanks to the improving natural environment. As the wild boar and deer populations were gradually restored, the food chain for the tigers became more stable.