Siberian tiger footprints found in NE China

A set of clear and well-preserved footprints suspected to have been left by a wild Siberian tiger were discovered in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, local forestry authorities said Sunday.

Siberian tiger footprints were found by workers on a tree farm in Raohe County on Friday. [Photo: mnw.cn]

The footprints were found by workers on a tree farm in Raohe County on Friday. Experts said such clear and complete footprints were rare, and they likely belong to a young male tiger.

Zhang Minghai of the Northeast Forestry University said the tiger was probably walking toward the Wusuli River on the China-Russia border.

Siberian tigers are one of the world's most endangered species. They predominantly live in northeast China and eastern Russia.

Heilongjiang has reported frequent activity by wild Siberian tigers in recent years. Footprints of another tiger were found in March in Raohe County.

Local authorities said the province has witnessed a rise both in the population of wild tigers and their prey.