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Three of five Amur tiger cubs in Hunchun are now independent

Amur tigress accompanied by her cubs
Conservation: Population & status, Management

On 8 November 2025, a monitoring camera in the Hunchun area of Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park recorded a wild Amur tigress (Panthera tigris altaica) with five cubs. It was the first recorded image in China of a wild tigress with five cubs together. Litters of five are uncommon among wild tigers worldwide.

In an October 2026 update, the park reported that three cubs had left their mother and become independent; the other two were still with her. A park official expected them to become independent by the end of November.

Park staff use infrared-camera images of tigers’ stripe patterns to identify individuals and follow animals and family groups over time.

Sources and image credit

  1. “英雄”虎妈五崽，即将全部独立Official update on the five cubs recorded with their mother in Hunchun and their progress toward independence.

Image: Mathias Appel / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. Illustrative Amur tiger family photographed at Duisburg Zoo, Germany; NOT the wild Hunchun family. · CC0 1.0 · Source

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