What is the reason behind the Siberian tiger’s entry into the village? Will human-tiger encounters become more frequent in the future? Expert interpretation

On November 18, a Siberian tiger entered a village in Changtai Village, Boli County, Heilongjiang Province, and injured people, attracting widespread social attention.
This is not the first time a Siberian tiger has entered a village. In 2021, “Wandashan No. 1” entered Linhu Village, Baiyuwan Town, Mishan City, Heilongjiang Province.
Why did the Siberian tiger enter the village again this time? Will Siberian tigers “come down from the mountains” more frequently in the future? How can humans and tigers coexist better? Reporters conducted interviews on these questions.
Multiple Possible Reasons for the “Fierce Tiger” Coming Down the Mountain
Ms. Shao, the daughter-in-law of Mr. Zhao, a villager bitten by the tiger, told reporters that on the morning of the 18th, her father-in-law was walking back after feeding the cows when he was pounced on by the tiger. His left hand was bitten, and his head and body were scratched. She shouted loudly through the gate, and the tiger might have been frightened and left. After the incident, the family sent the elderly man to the hospital for surgery. Currently, the injured person is conscious, can express himself normally, and is able to eat a small amount of food such as porridge.
Reporters learned that Boli County is an agricultural county with many hills and plains. The surroundings of Changtai Village are mainly farmland, without deep mountains and dense forests. This is the first time that a Siberian tiger has been found in Boli County since the county’s records began. The appearance of Siberian tigers in Boli County can be explored from both geographical and behavioral aspects.
Zhang Minghai, the director of the Feline Research Center of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and a professor at Northeast Forestry University, said that Boli County is surrounded by mountains on the east, south, and west. The western mountainous area belongs to the Laoyeling Mountain Range, and the eastern mountainous area belongs to the Wandashan Mountain Range. The southern part of Laoyeling and the eastern part of Wandashan are the main distribution areas of Siberian tigers in China. Although no tigers have been found in Boli County before, from a broader perspective, Boli County is adjacent to the tiger distribution area.
Regarding why the Siberian tiger entered the village this time, Liu Dan, the chief engineer of the China Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding and Conservation Center, said that from November to February of the following year is the mating season for Siberian tigers. Male tigers need to leave their original territories to find mates, and sub-adult male tigers are also likely to be driven out by the dominant tiger in their territory. Therefore, during this period, Siberian tigers are very active, and their activity range continues to expand. When exploring new territories and passing through new corridors, the possibility of entering villages is also greater.
Future Encounters Between Humans and Tigers May Become More Frequent
It is understood that the trail of the Siberian tiger that entered the village this time has not been found as of now. Experts remind that it is not ruled out that this Siberian tiger may be encountered nearby. After entering the village by mistake, human activities and passing vehicles may cause serious fright to the tiger, and its stress response may cause it to lose its sense of direction and exhibit strong aggression, which requires local authorities to pay high attention.
Some experts, such as Zhang Minghai, believe that as China’s ecological environment improves, the population of Siberian tigers continues to increase, and their activity range continues to expand, the probability of encounters between humans and tigers in Northeast China may increase.
About 200 kilometers south of Changtai Village is the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, which is the region with the largest population and most frequent activity of Siberian tigers in China for settlement and reproduction. Duanzhaogang, the director of the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park Administration, introduced that through continuous strengthening of protection and management in recent years, the distribution range of tigers and leopards has continued to expand, reaching the westernmost edge of the park. The number of wild tiger and leopard populations within the park has grown steadily, with about 70 wild Siberian tigers stably living in the park.
“Although the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park covers an area of 14,100 square kilometers, the population density of Siberian tigers is also very high,” Liu Dan said. Siberian tigers have a very strong territorial意识, and in the situation of competing for territories, it is inevitable that some Siberian tigers will “go far away” and spread outside the park.
Multiple Measures to Promote Harmonious Coexistence Between Humans and Tigers
Siberian tigers are globally endangered large felines and are also China’s national first-class protected wild animals. They are not only the top predators in ecological communities but also indicator species for the health of their habitats, playing an important role in regulating the food chain, balancing ecology, and protecting biodiversity.
In the future, how can humans and tigers coexist better?
Zhang Minghai said that it is necessary to strengthen the monitoring of the distribution and routes of Siberian tigers’ migration activities in different seasons, and use this as a basis to predict and warn in advance the areas where conflicts may occur between humans and tigers, and take preventive measures in advance.
He also believes that it is necessary to continue to strengthen the ecological protection and restoration of Siberian tiger habitats, especially the restoration of Siberian tiger migration corridors, and strive to allow Siberian tigers to “live and work in peace and contentment” in a better activity space.
Doing a good job in compensation for damages caused by wildlife is related to the vital interests of the people and directly affects the effectiveness of wildlife protection.
In this incident of a Siberian tiger entering the village and injuring people, the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park Administration has initiated insurance claim procedures and coordinated with insurance companies to send working groups to the scene to assist local forestry and grassland departments in conducting investigations. The insurance company and the township government have advanced 150,000 yuan for the initial treatment expenses of the injured villager.
Experts said that in the future, it is necessary to continue to properly handle conflicts between humans and tigers, establish and improve a compensation mechanism for damages caused by wildlife, and strive to protect the interests of affected people.