Siberian tiger family spotted in northeast China

Traces of wild Siberian tigers are spotted at Shengli River Forest Farm in Jiaohe city, Northeast China's Jilin province, Oct 21. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

A tiger family consisting of five members has been spotted in Northeast China's Jilin province.

The wild Siberian tigers were caught on tape by an infrared camera in Jilin's Hunchun city in May last year, according to the management bureau of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park. The park covers two Chinese provinces and borders Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It covers an area of more than 1.46 million hectares.

In the 50-second video, the mother tiger could be seen taking care of her four playful tiger cubs.

China has intensified protection efforts for Siberian tigers, which led to rising numbers of the big cat. In 2018, three families of Siberian tigers were spotted in Hunchun alone, including seven tiger cubs.

Siberian tigers, otherwise known as Amur or Manchurian tigers, mainly live in eastern Russia, Northeast China and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.

By the end of 2017, at least 27 adult tigers and 42 Amur leopards had been reported to roam in Jilin Province, and their numbers are stable.