Siberian tiger footprints found in Jilin  

琿春現野生東北虎母子行蹤 專家稱罕見

吉林琿春地區發現野生東北虎的事仍在繼續。5月18日，當地一家企業工作人員再次發現兩行虎蹤，當地專家20日初步判定這是一對東北虎母子的足跡。專家稱，同時發現東北虎母子足跡，十分罕見。

Hunchun, Jilin (ECNS) -- Two rows of tiger footprints found last Saturday in Northeast China's Jilin province were confirmed by experts Monday as belonging to a Siberian tigress and its cub.

At 6:10 a.m. Saturday, a staff member from a ginseng-planting company in Hunchun, a small city in Jilin, found two rows of footprints in the earth where ginseng was planted, one row larger than the other.

The footprints were clear, as it had rained recently, the staffer said.

Lang Jianmin of Hunchun National Reserve of Siberian tigers identified them as belonging to a female Siberian tiger and its cub, which are rarely seen.

The footprints indicated that Siberian tigers bred successfully in the area, which is good news for the species, Lang said.

As for roaming Siberian tigers killing livestock in villages since April, Lang said, there is no need panic, but he also advised villagers take precautions.

Siberian tigers mainly inhabit northeastern China, Russia's Far East region, and the Korean Peninsula. Currently, the number of wild Siberian tigers in the world is estimated at 500.

China established its first national reserve for Siberian tigers in 2001 in Hunchun, which borders Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.