News Digest

Cat-astrophe: Tiger released by Putin in danger after defecting to China

A rare Siberian tiger released into the wild by Russian President Vladimir Putin has strayed into China and may be in danger, Chinese media said on Thursday. Russia informed Chinese forestry officials that the tiger, tagged with a tracking device, was observed in a nature preserve in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Officials were removing possible traps and setting up more than 60 cameras in hopes of locating the tiger, it said.

A Russian expert called to tell us the location of the tiger and expressed the hope that we can protect it.

Chen Zhigang, director of the Taipinggou nature in China

The Russian president was photographed in May releasing the 19-month-old cub, named Kuzya, and two other Siberian tigers in a remote part of the Amur region. Siberian tigers have not been found before in Luobei county, where Kuzya is believed to have strayed, Xinhua said. There are around 400 tigers remaining in Siberia, though the species has been driven almost to extinction in China.