A WILD tiger was spotted in a village in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, where it injured a local resident Monday, local authorities confirmed.

According to the forestry and grassland administration of Boli County, Qitaihe City, the tiger appeared around 6 a.m. in Changtai Village, where it bit a villager on the left hand.

The villager, who sustained a fracture in the hand, is reported to be in stable condition in hospital, as mentioned in the evening news on a local TV channel Monday.

Boli County’s forestry and grassland administration mentioned that they are actively tracking the tiger, which will not be killed unless it poses an imminent threat to residents. The administration also said that the tiger attempted to charge at another villager in the same village but was deterred by a gate. This second incident, though causing no harm, was captured on surveillance footage. The tiger was seen entering a farmhouse yard, charging at the metal fence moments later, and then retreating as a frightened resident sought refuge inside the farmhouse.

Villagers have been advised to remain indoors and report any further sightings.

“We’ve never encountered tigers in our village before. This is the first time,” one villager said.

Siberian tigers, also known as Amur tigers, are primarily found in Russia’s Far East and Northeast China. As one of the world’s most endangered species and a flagship species of the region’s forest ecosystem, only 12 to 16 wild Siberian tigers were believed to be living in China in 1998.

In 2021, China officially established the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, marking a significant conservation achievement. Spanning Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces, the park provides a sanctuary for approximately 70 wild Siberian tigers.

During an event commemorating the 14th International Tiger Day in July, Markus Radday, a Tiger Program Officer at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), noted that China has made notable progress in tiger conservation over the past 12 years.

He suggested that local communities can play a critical role in mitigating human-tiger conflicts through early warning systems.(Xinhua)