Tigers preying on bears offers new ecological insight

A recent wildlife survey in a national park in northeast China reveals that tigers preying on bears is not a rare phenomenon within the park, offering fresh perspectives on predator relationships in the region.

The survey, led by Beijing Normal University and supported by multiple research teams and institutions, is being conducted in the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park (NCTLNP) and marks the launch of its first systematic baseline survey on wildlife resources.

The park, which spans Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, is home to around 70 wild Siberian tigers, 80 wild Amur leopards, along with brown bears, Asian black bears, and other large carnivores. Officially established in 2021, the park is an important biodiversity hub.

Cameras captured a remarkable scene of a Siberian tiger steadily pursuing a large brown bear, which, despite its typically bulky build and slow movements, displayed surprising agility.

Feng Limin, a professor at the College of Life Sciences of Beijing Normal University, explained that the tiger's steady pursuit was likely due to its youth and inexperience in hunting bears.

DNA analysis of tiger and leopard scat samples has revealed that bears -- traditionally considered apex predators with no natural enemies -- make up a notable portion of the Siberian tiger's diet.

"Based on our initial analysis, we've made some surprising discoveries. For example, we further know that in addition to medium and large herbivores like wild boars and sika deer, tigers also prey on large carnivores, such as bears. We've found that bears make up about 10 percent of the Siberian tiger's diet year round. Infrared camera footage has previously recorded tigers chasing bears," Feng said.

Typically, large carnivores are seen as apex predators with no natural enemies, often avoiding direct confrontations by adjusting their activity patterns. However, increasing reports of tigers preying on both leopards and bears are providing new insights into the complex relationships and food webs within the park's ecosystem.

"This helps us gain a deeper understanding of the ecological processes and complex relationships within the ecosystem of the NCTLNP, contributing invaluable data for the future conservation of its biodiversity," the professor added.

Tigers preying on bears offers new ecological insight

Xi'an, the capital city of what is now northwest China's Shaanxi Province, has played a pivotal role in facilitating China's exchanges with the rest of the world through the ancient Silk Road.

The city, which was called Chang'an in ancient China, served as the starting point of the Silk Road. Chang'an was the capital city of several ancient Chinese dynasties, including the Western Han and the Tang, from 202 BC to AD 907.

Stepping out of the Xi'an Railway Station, one will encounter the colossal ruins of the Danfeng Gate of the Daming Palace. This gate was the national gateway of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Over 1,300 years ago, envoys from all nations from every corner of the world would pass through this very gate to pay homage to what was then the world's most powerful empire.

In Istanbul, the Topkapi Palace Museum, built in 1478, was the heart of the Ottoman Empire.

As camel bells echoed across deserts from Chang'an and merchant ships sailed oceans from east China's Quanzhou City, treasures of civilization from ancient China ultimately settled within this museum.

Its collections include vast numbers of Chinese paintings, calligraphy, and precious gold and silver artifacts, among them 12,000 pieces of Chinese porcelain.

At the Topkapi Palace Museum, these porcelain wares now stand on display for the world, telling a history of civilizational exchange spanning Eurasia.

Northwest China's Xi'an plays pivotal role in boosting ancient exchanges with outside world