03:37
Sightings of wild Siberian tigers have increased in northeast China's Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces since the start of this year due to improved local ecological environments in recent years.
A resident in the Hunchun City of Jilin came across a Siberian tiger on November 28 when he was driving home. The video shot by Mr. Tai showed the tiger gazing at the car for a few seconds before running away.
"It was around 15:30 on November 28 that I spotted the tiger, and I immediately froze. Since the tiger didn't move, I dared not drive my car. We just stayed there staring at each other. Then I took out my mobile phone and filmed a video of it. I kept staring at it for a while before it started walking, so I drove a little bit forward. But it stopped again, lying on all fours. I kept filming it for a while longer. Then the tiger stood up, took a look at me, turned around and went away. I was so frightened that I quickly drove back home," Tai Yanping said while recalling the encounter.
About two weeks before Tai's experience, another resident in Hunchun encountered a wild tiger on a mountain road. The tiger was seen prowling leisurely along the left side of the road.
A large part of the Hunchun city is located in the core area of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park. Park staff say in addition to the growing sightings of Siberian tigers, there has also been a significant increase in the number of wildlife species such as the sika deer, the roe deer and the wild boar.
They attribute the population growth and frequent sightings of wild animals to continued efforts in ecological conservation and crackdown on poaching.
"It was all thanks to the continuous protection [of wild animals]. Especially since the establishment of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, there's been a sharp fall in poaching and a notable rise in the number of wild animals in the area," said Kong Weiyao, staff member at the ecological protection office of the Administration for Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park.
