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China plans national park for Siberian tiger, Amur leopard

Xinhua, May 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

China is preparing a national park for Siberian tiger and Amur leopard in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces in the northeast.

A general plan on the park was passed by experts on Monday and is now subject to scrutiny by the provincial and central governments.

In the last century, both populations shrunk due to human activity. A 1998 survey put the number of wild Siberian tiger in China at 12 to 16, and that of Amur leopard at seven to 12.

Both species have since recovered somewhat thanks to conservation efforts, including protection of natural forests, establishment of nature reserves and a hunting ban.

Monitoring through infrared devices between 2012 and 2014 showed the number of the tiger and leopard in Jilin at 27 and 42 respectively, but habitat is fragmented as a result of development.

About 500 Siberian tigers are believed to live in the wild. The Amur leopard is believed to be the world's most endangered feline. Endi