Rare Siberian tiger released back into wild in NE China

BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A rare wild Siberian tiger was successfully released back into the wild in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Tuesday, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

This is the first time that China has rescued a wild Siberian tiger and released it to its natural habitat, according to a wildlife expert.

The tiger strayed into a village in Heilongjiang on April 23 and injured a local. Thereafter, it was captured and transferred to a local animal breeding center.

Siberian tigers, also known as Amur or Manchurian tigers, mainly inhabit eastern Russia, northeast China, and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. The species are on the national first-class protection list in China.