Rare Siberian tiger released back into wild in NE China
A RARE wild Siberian tiger was successfully released back into the wild in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province yesterday, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
This is the first time that China has rescued a wild Siberian tiger and released it to its natural habitat, according to a wildlife expert.
The tiger strayed into a village in Heilongjiang on April 23 and injured a local.
It was later captured and transferred to a local animal breeding center.
The wild Siberian tiger is a healthy male aged 2 to 3 years and weighing 225 kilograms, according to local officials.
The animal was held for observation and quarantine purposes, it said.
The Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, is highly endangered.
It is believed only a few hundred remain in the wild, of which 20 are sometimes seen in two northeastern Chinese provinces, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.
The species is on the national first-class protection list in China.
