* Covering Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park -- home to approximately 70 wild Siberian tigers, 80 wild Amur leopards, and about 10,000 people -- was officially established in 2021.
* Siberian tigers, also known as Amur tigers, mainly live in Russia's Far East and northeast China. As one of the world's most endangered species and a flagship species of the forest ecosystem, only 12 to 16 wild Siberian tigers were believed to have been living in China in 1998.
* China has dedicated itself to preserving this endangered species and helping in the recovery of its population. The Siberian tiger population in China has continued to rebound. Last year, 20 Siberian tiger cubs and 15 Amur leopard cubs were born in the park.
CHANGCHUN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Deep inside a dense forest in northeast China, a Siberian tiger cub was cuddling and playing with its mother.
This heartwarming scene in the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park (NCTLNP) was streamed in real-time on an intelligent screen at the park's control room.
Such new technologies, including early warning systems and thousands of smart cameras, have greatly mitigated human-tiger conflict in the park spanning over 14,000 square km.
Covering Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, the park -- home to approximately 70 wild Siberian tigers, 80 wild Amur leopards, and about 10,000 people -- was officially established in 2021.
Siberian tigers, also known as Amur tigers, mainly live in Russia's Far East and northeast China. As one of the world's most endangered species and a flagship species of the forest ecosystem, only 12 to 16 wild Siberian tigers were believed to have been living in China in 1998.
Monday marks the 14th International Tiger Day. As one of the 13 countries where tigers live, China has dedicated itself to preserving this endangered species and helping in the recovery of its population through afforestation efforts, hunting bans and rewilding training programs.
Thanks to these conservation efforts, the Siberian tiger population in China has continued to rebound. Last year, 20 Siberian tiger cubs and 15 Amur leopard cubs were born in the park.
"The turning point in Siberian tiger preservation was the establishment of the NCTLNP," said Feng Limin, deputy director of the monitoring and research center for Siberian tigers and Amur leopards under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
As wild Siberian tigers make a comeback and thrive in the park, the likelihood of encounters between tigers and people living in the area is increasing.
Maintaining a balance between protecting wildlife and ensuring human safety is a complex task. However, cutting-edge technologies used in the park are providing creative solutions to reduce human-tiger conflicts.
Through an integrated intelligent monitoring system that can "send back real-time videos and analyze them with artificial intelligence," people living in the park will be alerted when wild animals are close to their villages or farmlands, according to Feng.
"The system is not only conducive to scientific research but also allows us to intelligently monitor major intersections and villages in the park," Feng said.
Additionally, a newly completed early warning system in Shiliping Village of Wangqing County in the park uses sound waves to repel wild animals like Siberian tigers and Amur leopards after they are detected by cameras.
Upon detection, all villagers will receive a cellphone alert warning them that large wild animals are approaching and advising them to stay safe.
To help people living in the park area feel at ease and to ensure they can "prosper because of the tigers," the park has created over 10,000 public welfare jobs that involve residents in forest management, protection, resource monitoring, and other tasks.
"Wild Siberian tigers were once predicted to be extinct in China, but after many years of protection, we now have 70 of them here," said Yu Dongxi, a resident of Zhongtumenzi Village in the park area.
With the establishment of the NCTLNP, China's protection efforts for Siberian tigers are capturing the attention of international scholars and the younger generation, inspiring them to weave new technologies and programs into the blueprint for peaceful human-tiger coexistence.
"We can use algorithms based on machine learning and artificial intelligence to prevent poaching more effectively," said Wu Yufei, a student from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, who is attending the ongoing 2nd International Forum on Conservation and Recovery of Tiger and Leopard held in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang.
"Wildlife protection is a long process of exploration and trial, but we are encouraged by the support from all sectors of society," said Jin Yongchao, an associate professor at Jilin Agricultural University who is also an advisor to the World Wildlife Fund. (Video reporters: Si Xiaoshuai, Shao Meiqi; Video editors: Zhang Yueyuan, Roger Lott, Luo Hui.) ■
