Chinese authorities are trying to locate a Siberian tiger that recently attacked a farmer in Boli county, Heilongjiang province, in the northeast of the country.
The feline seriously bit the man’s left hand, who avoided amputation after several hours of surgery, the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post reported this Thursday.
The incident occurred on Monday near the town of Changtai, where a viral video showed the tiger in front of a residence moments before a neighbor managed to close the iron gate to prevent another attack.
Different experts confirmed to local media that it is a Siberian tiger, and local officials have warned residents of the area to “avoid mountainous areas” and “go out in groups” while trying to track the animal.
Since Tuesday, the Heilongjiang Forestry and Grassland Administration has reinforced security measures and noted that the presence of these tigers in the region is not common.
Researchers from the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences suggest that the animal could have crossed the border from Russia, about 100 kilometers away.
The Siberian tiger, the largest subspecies of tigers, is protected in Chinawhere conservation efforts have increased their population.
Northeast China National Park, established in 2021, is home to approximately 70 individuals, and Victims of attacks can file claims with insurers if these incidents are confirmed.
In April of the same year, authorities captured a wild Siberian tiger that had bitten a villager and, after a veterinary examination, released it into a dense forest.