Title
Livestock depredation by Amur tigers in Hunchun Nature Reserve, Jilin, China
Author(s)
Bing Li,Endi Zhang,Zhongbao Zhang
Published
2009
Abstract
The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris ahaica)is endangered in China．Since establishment of the Hunchun Nature Reserve adjacent to Russia and DPR Korea in Jilin Province，in December 2001，the tiger population in this region seems to have increased．Reports of livestock losses are increasing in the reserve．To reduce human-tiger conflicts, we carried out an in-depth analysis of livestock depredation by tigers, based on tiger monitoring data collected from December 2001 to 2007．There were 126 cases in which Amur tigers attacked 204 cattle, horses and dogs between December 2002 and 2007．From 2002 to 2007, livestock losses generally increased, with major increases in 2007．Livestock depredation mainly occurred between April and September．Results suggest no preference for specific domestic animals．Tigers rarely attacked livestock that were less than 1 km from a village, and human disturbance affected utilization of livestock and tiger behavior associated with moving carcasses．An estimated 16079 kg livestock meat was eaten by tigers, amounting to $76084 in losses．Attacks occurred more often on southern and eastern aspects, lower altitudes, gentler slopes, greater canopy density, closer to villages and rivers, and farther from roads．Removal of snares in the forest and elimination of new snares is vital to increase ungulate populations, so as to reduce tiger dependence on livestock. Better livestock husbandry techniques and reduction of livestock within Hunchun Reserve can greatly reduce the rate of depredation by tigers．Avoiding disturbance of sites where tigers have already made kills is also likely to reduce rate of killing in some extent.
Keywords
Amur tiger,China,Hunchun,Jilin Province,Livestock Depredation,Panthera tigris
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