Authorities Issue Evacuation Order, Launch Capture Operation
Frequent Incidents of Wildlife Invading Homes as Population Increases
In the northeastern region of China, a Baekdusan tiger came down to a village and bit one resident before fleeing. On the 18th, local media including Heilongjiang Daily reported that a Baekdusan tiger descended into Jixing Korean and Manchu Ethnic Township under the jurisdiction of Boli County, Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang Province, and bit the left arm of a 65-year-old villager before running away.
The resident is currently receiving treatment at a hospital and is fortunately reported to be in stable condition without serious life-threatening injuries. Regarding the incident, the Boli County Forestry and Grassland Bureau stated, "At around 6 a.m. that day, we received a report that a tiger was spotted in Changtai Village, Jixing Township," adding, "One resident was bitten by the tiger and is receiving medical treatment; the current situation is stable." The resident who discovered the tiger was fascinated and watching it when the tiger suddenly struck a metal gate, nearly causing a serious accident. Fortunately, the agitated tiger ran off to another location after hitting the gate; otherwise, it could have squeezed through the broken gap and caused a human casualty.
The resident who first spotted the tiger at the time almost suffered a serious accident when the tiger slammed into the iron gate while being watched. Fortunately, the excited tiger that slammed into the iron gate ran off to another place; otherwise, it could have squeezed through the broken gap and caused casualties. Yonhap News TV
The Forestry and Grassland Bureau said, "Authorities have arrived in the jurisdiction and are tracking the whereabouts of the tiger," and advised, "Nearby residents should avoid danger promptly if they find traces of large wild animals." Local media explained that authorities are using infrared cameras and drones to search for signs of the tiger. However, it has not been confirmed whether the tiger has left the village.
Previously, in April 2021, a tiger in this area attacked a farmer and was captured alive after 10 hours. In October of the same year, Chinese authorities officially designated the Heilongjiang and Jilin areas in the northeast?covering 23 times the area of Seoul?as a national park to preserve the endangered Baekdusan tiger.
Where Did All the Korean Peninsula Tigers Go?
The Baekdusan tiger, also known as the Siberian tiger or Northeast tiger, is distributed across North Korea, northeastern China, Manchuria, and the Ussuri River region of Russia. Incidents of Baekdusan tigers coming down to residential areas and attacking people occur occasionally during winter when food is scarce. Among these, tigers are reported to be extinct in the Republic of Korea. Although numerous sightings and testimonies of tigers in the mountains continue to emerge, no concrete photographic evidence or materials have yet been found. The last recorded incident related to tigers dates back 85 years ago, in 1921 during the reign of King Gojong, when a tiger appeared inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, mobilizing hundreds of soldiers. At that time, tigers were so abundant that they even invaded the royal palace on the Korean Peninsula.
As apex predators in the animal ecosystem's food chain, tigers were said to be incredibly numerous in over 90% of the mountainous areas of the Korean Peninsula until the early 20th century, supported by a vast number of herbivores and relatively low human population density. During the Joseon Dynasty, tigers were frequently sighted even within the four gates of Seoul. However, the once abundant tiger population suffered greatly during the Japanese colonial period under the pretext of eliminating harmful predators.
The Japanese colonial government issued extensive hunting permits to hunters, who captured tigers, leopards, and wolves indiscriminately. According to records from the Government-General of Korea, a total of 141 tigers were killed between 1915 and 1942. The number of leopards killed was much higher, with 1,092 recorded. Additionally, the Japanese sent a large expeditionary force called the Yamamoto Seiko-gun (山本征虎軍) to overhunt tigers on the Korean Peninsula, and there was also an American expedition that roamed the peninsula collecting tiger specimens. Since there are no tigers in North America, Korean Peninsula tigers became subjects of species research by American scholars.
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