China is deeply connected to the fate of the tiger, a species that once roamed vast expanses of the country. While the tiger holds a revered place in Chinese culture, its actual status in the wild is complex, marked by historical decline and recent conservation success. China still has tigers, but the reality involves a precarious foothold for one subspecies and a struggle to save another. Understanding the current situation requires looking closely at the different subspecies that historically made China their home and the targeted efforts underway to restore their populations.
Which Tigers Are Native to China
Historically, three distinct subspecies of tiger inhabited China, each occupying a different geographical region. The Amur tiger, also known as the Siberian or Manchurian tiger, once ranged across the entire northeastern region of the country. These tigers are the largest subspecies and are adapted to the cold, temperate forests of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces.
The South China tiger was native to a wide area spanning the central and southern provinces, including Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, and Jiangxi. This subspecies is considered one of the most ancient tiger lineages and is endemic to China, meaning its entire historical range was contained within the country.
A third subspecies, the Indochinese tiger, historically held a marginal presence in the extreme southern parts of China, bordering Southeast Asia. Conservation focus today is almost entirely on the Amur tiger and the South China tiger due to their unique conservation needs.
Current Wild Population Distribution and Status
The majority of China’s wild tigers belong to the Amur subspecies, concentrated in the remote, forested borderlands of the northeast. This population is found predominantly in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, forming part of a larger, cross-border population shared with the Russian Far East. The total global wild population of Amur tigers is only about 500 individuals, with the vast majority residing in Russia.
Conservation efforts in China are yielding positive results, with recent monitoring suggesting the wild population has increased to between 50 and 70 individuals. This growth is directly linked to the establishment of large protected areas that connect fragmented habitats. The movement of tigers across the Sino-Russian border is crucial, as it allows for genetic exchange and the re-establishment of resident populations within China’s improved territories.
The population remains vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, which limits the ability of tigers to disperse and find mates. Survival hinges on continuous anti-poaching patrols and the recovery of their prey base, such as wild boar and deer, which were heavily depleted in past decades. Increased tiger sightings and the successful rearing of cubs indicate that the region is once again becoming a viable breeding ground.
The South China Tiger Dilemma
In stark contrast to the recovering Amur tiger, the South China tiger faces a dire and complex future. This subspecies is considered functionally extinct in the wild, with no confirmed sightings since the late 1980s or early 1990s. Extensive surveys have failed to locate any surviving tigers in their historical range, a loss attributed to habitat destruction, prey depletion, and historical pest eradication campaigns.
The subspecies survives entirely through a captive breeding program, with approximately 150 to 240 individuals maintained in Chinese zoos and a pilot program abroad. A significant challenge for the captive population is its limited genetic diversity, as all living South China tigers trace their lineage back to just six wild-caught founders from the 1950s. This narrow gene pool increases the risk of inbreeding depression, leading to health issues and reduced reproductive success.
To overcome the challenge of reintroducing zoo-born animals, a unique rewilding program was established in South Africa’s Laohu Valley Reserve. Captive-bred cubs learn natural survival skills, including hunting live prey, which is a necessary step before any potential reintroduction into China. China has also begun establishing domestic rewilding training bases, such as the one in Meihua Mountain in Fujian Province, to acclimate these tigers to a semi-wild environment.
National Conservation and Recovery Programs
China has implemented large-scale, coordinated efforts to secure the future of its native tigers, anchored by a national policy framework. The most significant action has been the establishment of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, formally created in 2021. This vast protected area spans about 14,000 square kilometers across Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, dedicated to the protection of the Amur tiger and Amur leopard.
Within the park, advanced monitoring systems are deployed, including nearly 28,000 infrared cameras, which provide real-time data on animal movements. These tools support anti-poaching teams that actively patrol the forests, leading to the removal of snares and a decrease in illegal hunting. Furthermore, the government banned commercial logging in the region, allowing the forest habitat to recover and the density of prey species like roe deer and sika deer to increase.
The national conservation strategy also includes international cooperation, especially with Russia, to manage the shared Amur tiger population effectively. This cross-border collaboration involves sharing scientific data and coordinating management efforts. This partnership ensures that tigers can move freely across the international boundary, which is important for the long-term genetic health of the wild population.