Screenshot from a video clip taken on May 18, 2021 shows that a rare wild Siberian tiger was successfully released back into the wild in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.(Photo:Xinhua)

Tiger tracks were reported in a village in Shuangyashan city, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on Tuesday. It's the third time in recent months that the province has reported Siberian tiger traces. Experts point out that more wild Siberian tigers are likely to be found in northeastern China, as their wild population in Russia has nearly saturated. 

The Siberian tiger footprints appeared at the riverside of Zhenjiang village in Shuangyashan City. The local forestry and grassland bureau determined at the scene that the tiger had entered China from Russia.

The forestry and grassland bureau has issued a reminder to the villages in the surrounding danger area, advising them not to enter the mountains, and that farmers should take safety precautions to avoid injuries caused by human encounters with the tiger.

Recently, this northeastern province bordering Russia has reported a succession of incidents of Siberian tigers entering the village. The National Forestry and Grassland Administration has urged efforts to eliminate the threat of wild tigers in the province, including conducting patrols and improving awareness among villagers.

In April, a male Siberian tiger was captured after straying into a village and injuring a local resident in Heilongjiang. It was later released back into the wild in May, the Changbai Mountain area, taking into considering the forest coverage, the distance from villages and the availability of prey. 

In July, another Siberian tiger was spotted in Shuangyashan, Heilongjiang. 

In recent years, there has indeed been an increasing trend of Siberian tiger infestations in the northeast of China, Sun Quanhui, a scientist from World Animal Protection, told Global Times on Wednesday.

"The increase in the number of Siberian tigers in China comes from the increasing efforts of the state to protect the ecological environment and wildlife in the past years. Their habitat is well protected," Sun said. "Also, some of the tigers are now settled in China and have begun to breed offspring."

In addition, the local field patrol and monitoring efforts continue to increase, Sun noted. "Infrared cameras and other field monitoring equipment are also put into use. It is now easier than ever to find the Siberian tigers' activity traces."

Siberian tigers, also known as Amur or Manchurian tigers, mainly inhabit eastern Russia, northeast China, and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. The species are on the national first-class protection list in China.

"Since the wild population of Siberian tigers in Russia is close to saturation, and proliferation is their natural instinct, it is expected that there will be more Northeastern tigers entering China in the future," Sun noted. 

A recent survey shows that a total of 55 wild Siberian tigers were spotted in China from 2013 to 2018, suggesting a population recovery of the critically endangered species once predicted that it would disappear from the country.