Within the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, there exists a special profession—the "registrant" of the Siberian tigers. Like human fingerprints, the Siberian tiger's stripes are unique. The "registrant" must distinguish individual tigers based on the location, length, width, color, and shape of their stripes, assigning each tiger an "identity card" and essentially "drawing a family tree" for the tigers. Duan Lianru, who works at the Scientific Research and Monitoring Center of the Hunchun Branch of the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park Administration, is responsible for this work.
The Siberian tiger is one of the flagship species for global biodiversity conservation. To protect the Siberian tiger and its habitat, China has established the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, covering an area of over 14,000 square kilometers and spanning the provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang. Duan Lianru works in an area with more than 5,000 infrared cameras, and every day she has to compare hundreds of monitoring images of Siberian tigers.
"Identity cards" and "family trees" provide a wealth of basic data for the scientific research and conservation of Siberian tigers. These "registrars" enjoy the "virtual tiger-raising" experience while quietly dedicating themselves to tiger and leopard conservation. In recent years, with the improvement of the ecological environment, more and more tigers and leopards have returned. Related data shows that before the establishment of the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, 33% of Siberian tiger cubs survived to adulthood; now, more than 50% of Siberian tiger cubs survive to adulthood.
The Siberian tigers are unaware that there's a "registrant" on the other end of the infrared camera who cares about them, but Duan Lianru still works diligently. "I hope that humans and wild animals can live in harmony, and I hope that nature will become more and more beautiful," Duan Lianru said.
