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Jiang Guangshun, a professor of wild animal resources at the Northeast Forestry University in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, said that his research team had found that the area the tigers inhabited across the Sino-Russian border expanded by about 12 kilometers every year from 2003 to 2016.

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MEASURES TO PROTECT THE RARE CATS

COLLABORATION

Experts from China and Russia cooperate on research about surveys of the tiger population and jointly monitor data sharing, animal management and rescue.

“This expansion into China highlights the importance of the construction of the Sino-Russian cross-border corridor for tigers,” he said, referring to an access route built by forestry departments in the two countries. Data from the research team show that between 2013 and 2016, nearly 80 percent of the tigers shuttled back and forth across the border.

FEEDING

Forestry departments have set up artificial feeding sites for animals in the national park in case they find it difficult to locate food during the winter months.

PROTECTION

Rangers cleared hunting traps and placed infrared cameras in forests to monitor the tiger population.

“As natural habitats are being restored in China, more Amur tigers are giving birth to and raising cubs in the country, which means that they are gradually expanding into China,” Jiang said.

In 2021, it was announced that the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, which straddles the provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin, would be established along with four other parks across China. The park covers approximately 14,100 square kilometers, and by the end of 2021, the number of wild Amur tigers living in the facility had risen to 50 from 27 in 2017.

Jiang said that before the 1980s, at least 100 Amur tigers lived in the forests of Northeast China. However, economic development in the area saw their numbers decline to about 12. In 1998, China began balancing economic development with forest protection, and initiated a number of conservation projects. As a result, the tiger population has grown.

“The conservation of tigers is recognized as a challenge worldwide due to their expansive habitat requirements. A female needs an area of 400 to 500 sq km, while a male requires over 1,000 sq km,” Jiang said.

for Amur tiger conservation efforts, he said, adding that as it nestles alongside Russia’s Land of the Leopard National Park, it provides a crucial sanctuary for the animals.

“The collaboration between these neighboring parks creates a shared homeland for these majestic creatures. The construction of the Sino-Russian cross-border international environmental corridor is vital as several barriers hinder the movement of tigers between the two sides. Border fences and roads built in the area are among those obstacles. Efforts are required by both sides to promote the corridor,” he added.

The section around Dongning city, Heilongjiang, which accounts for 19.8 percent of the park’s total area, serves as a key corridor for the expansion of Amur tigers from Russia into China.

Wang Zhigang, head of Dongning’s forestry bureau said, “As the population of prey species including wild boars and deer rises, Amur tigers are venturing farther into China from Russia for the abundant supply of food. Tiger fur has been seen in ditches along the borders. The expansion of the tigers’ range is expected to continue.”

The central government has assisted by creating cross-border passages for the tigers. Since 2021, no new barriers, such as wire fences and ditches that hinder the big cats’ movement, have been built within the national park, Wang said.