National park in northeast China sees significant increase in wild tigers and leopards

The population in Northeast China’s Tiger and Leopard National Park has seen a sharp increase in recent years.

According to Duan Zhaogang, head of the park’s administration, there are currently around 70 Siberian tigers and 80 wild Amur leopards living within the park. In 2023 alone, 20 new Siberian tiger cubs and 15 Amur leopard cubs were born.

The distribution range of these big cats continued to expand, reaching the westernmost edge of the park, with their habitat now covering more than 11 thousand square kilometers, about 80% of the park’s total area.

The park, formed on the basis of 19 ancient nature reserves, began its pilot phase in August 2017 as one of China’s first five national parks and was officially established in 2021.

In recent years, habitat restoration projects have been initiated in the park to recover and restore 2,200 hectares of forests, along with continuous anti-poaching patrols to ensure a high-quality ecological environment, Duan said.