China uses helicopters to patrol Siberian tiger habitat

CHANGCHUN -- Northeast China's Jilin province has rented four helicopters to patrol mountain forests to help prevent and fight forest fires that could potentially damage the habitat of Siberian tigers and Amur leopards.

Fang Haibin, an official with the provincial aerial forest protection center, said the helicopters patrol an area of over 90,000 square km with eight patrolling routes totaling 2,862 km.

The helicopters are responsible for emergency rescue in the Changbai Mountains forests and in the cities of Jilin, Yanbian, Tonghua and Baishan, according to Fang.

The helicopters can help discover burnt areas, spray water to extinguish fires, rescue tourists and collect fire information.

Changbai Mountains are a major habitat for Siberian tigers and Amur leopards. By the end of 2017, at least 27 adult tigers and 42 Amur leopards were reported in Jilin Province.