One of the world's estimated 400 Siberian tigers living in the wild died of hunger after being injured by trap and its body has been found in northeast China, police said on Sunday.

 

Police officers in Dongning County, Heilongjiang Province said that they were trying to find out the person who set up the trap and injured the male tiger.

 

The tiger was found dead on Dec. 11 by villagers in the county.

 

Investigators suggested that the Siberian tiger managed to break loose from a rope trap and was injured, which made it weak to prey and finally died of hunger.

 

Siberian tigers, among the world's 10 most endangered species, mostly live in northeast China and the Far East area of Russia. Of the 400 estimated ones living in the wild, only 10 to 17 live in northeast China.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2006)