A wild Siberian tiger has been found dead in Manchu Autonomous
County of Xinbin, Fushun City of northeast China's Liaoning
Province.
It is the first such case in which a wild Siberian tiger has
actually been spotted. Previously, there have been only reports
about damage done and traces left by the endangered tiger species,
but no one has ever spotted a wild Siberian tiger.
Qu Jianjun, head of the wildlife and wild plant protection
department of the Liaoning Provincial Bureau of Forestry, told
Xinhua that the dead Siberian tiger was discovered by a local
forest worker at the foot of a cliff in Xinbin.
The tiger was lying on its side, with its eyes wide-open and its
neck almost broken, and one steel rope was stuck in the flesh of
the neck. Blood was visible from the chest through to the belly,
mixing together with the fur, said witness.
Wildlife protection workers concluded that the Siberian tiger
might have died from too much blood loss after getting his neck
caught by the steel rope planted by hunters, and food shortage
could be another reason for its death.
The dead tiger was taken indoors and is being protected by a
relevant local department, according to Qu.
(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2004)