Abstract：The Hunchun Nature Reserve,located near the boundaries of China with Russia and DPR Korea,is the only national level reserve in China containing tigers (Panthera tigris) and leopards (P. pardus). Since its establishment in December 2001, tiger monitoring has been carried out in and around the reserve. Because tigers can easily cross boundaries over the course of a year,winter snow tracking alone is insufficient as the sole method ortigermonitoring. Thus, a passivetiger monitoring method was adopted to augment the existing winter survey. Passive monitoring relies primarily on information on tiger predation reported by local villagers and informants in 12 villages. We summarize tiger monitoring efforts during 2001 - 2006, analyze tiger occurrence frequency,number,and sex/ age ratios suggested by monitoring data,and make conservation suggestions. During winters 2003 - 2005, 50 routes of 5 -10 km length were monitored for tiger sign. As of the end of 2006,a total of 93 tiger occurrences had been recorded,of which one was a cub. Based on track records during 2002 -2006,we encountered tigers 7, 16, 9, 7, and 7 times respectively,and estimate the presence of 3, 10, 5, 4, and 5 individuals in those years. Based on winter tracking during 2003 - 2005, we estimated 7 male tigers in the area, one of which was a sub-adult. Our results suggest that males outnumbered females,and speculate that this resulted from male tigers tending to disperse and hunt livestock. However,our results were affected by monitoring conditions,methodological limitations,and variable intensity of effort;. over half of all data lacked reliable footprint records. Thus our results are only capable of providing an incomplete reflection of tiger status in this area. We suggest enhancing transboudary conservation efforts by building corridors,considering translocations,conducting in-depth tiger and ungulate monitoring and research, building a system to help local communities and armies become better involved in conservation,and helping local communities change their methods of livestock grazing and seek alternative livelihoods.
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