Tiger set free by Putin kills 15 goats in China

Beijing, Nov 26: A rare Siberian tiger released into the wild by Russian President Vladimir Putin raided a farm in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and killed 15 goats.

The beast named Ustin has killed 15 goats in the farm in Fuyuan county on Sunday and Monday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Zhu Shibing, a wildlife protection expert from the Northeast Forestry University said footprints and other traces left near the goat house belonged to Ustin.

Ustin is one of three Siberian tigers released by Putin in a remote part of the Amur region in May.

Two of them have entered China. They are monitored by Chinese wildlife workers and fitted with tracking devices.

A hole of the size of a human finger was clearly visible on each goat's head, Zhu said, adding, their skulls have been crunched showing the power of the tiger's jaws.

The other tiger, Kuzya, was believed to have raided a farm and eaten five chickens last month in another county of the province, keeping the farmers on the edge.

PTI