New evidence of wild Amur tigers and leopards breeding in China

摘要

On 15 November 2013 CCTV news reported that pug-marks of a wild adult female Amur tiger Panthera tigris altaica and three kittens had been found in the Hunchun forest department of Jilin Province in north-east China. The front pad widths of the adult were 9.0-9.3 cm and those of the kittens were 6.0-6.2 cm. Experts have examined the details of the pug-marks and tracks and have confirmed the presence of a female and kittens. From the size of the pug-marks it is estimated the kittens were 4-5 months old. It is particularly notable that this record was outside Hunchun Nature Reserve, ＞ 20 km away from the Sino-Russian border. In recent years camera-traps have recorded adult Amur tigers in this area and local people have reported sightings of Amur tiger pug-marks and/or loss of livestock.