The Siberian tiger might be an endangered species, but it is experiencing a baby boom in China's private zoos.
The successful breeding programme has led to overcrowding in zoos
In the past three months, 84 cubs have been born at the Hengdaohezi nature park near Harbin, in northern China.
The success of the breeding programme there and at the country's largest park, near Guilin in southern China, has left the zoos crowded.
With more than 2,000 animals in the two parks, their owners want to be allowed to resume a trade in tiger parts, traditionally used in Chinese medicine.
The move has been vehemently opposed by conservation groups.
The Worldwide Fund for Nature says the ban is the only way to protect the wild animal from poachers.
It is feared that the numbers in the wild, mainly in India, could now be lower than 3,000. Of these, only about 400 are Siberian tigers.
In the meantime, the parks try to boost visitor numbers by allowing people to feed them live prey, which has led to further criticism.
The successful breeding programme has led to overcrowding in zoos
In the past three months, 84 cubs have been born at the Hengdaohezi nature park near Harbin, in northern China.
The success of the breeding programme there and at the country's largest park, near Guilin in southern China, has left the zoos crowded.
With more than 2,000 animals in the two parks, their owners want to be allowed to resume a trade in tiger parts, traditionally used in Chinese medicine.
The move has been vehemently opposed by conservation groups.
The Worldwide Fund for Nature says the ban is the only way to protect the wild animal from poachers.
It is feared that the numbers in the wild, mainly in India, could now be lower than 3,000. Of these, only about 400 are Siberian tigers.
In the meantime, the parks try to boost visitor numbers by allowing people to feed them live prey, which has led to further criticism.
Siberian tiger cubs born in China zoo (click here)
Posted Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:12am AEST
Eighty-four Siberian tiger cubs have been born in captivity in north-east China since March this year in a boost to the survival chances of the endangered species, state media reports.
All the cubs were doing well, Liu Dan, an official with the Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Centre in Heilongjiang province, told Xinhua news agency,
Mr Liu said 13 other pregnant Siberian tigers would give birth to between 20 and 30 new cubs before October.
The centre, established in 1986, holds 750 Siberian tigers and plans to release 620 of them into the wild in the future, he says.
The Siberian tiger, also known as Amur, Manchurian or Ussuri tiger, is among the 10 most endangered species in the world.
Only 400 survive in the wild, about 20 in northern China and the rest in the Russian Far East, the report says.
Posted Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:12am AEST
Eighty-four Siberian tiger cubs have been born in captivity in north-east China since March this year in a boost to the survival chances of the endangered species, state media reports.
All the cubs were doing well, Liu Dan, an official with the Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Centre in Heilongjiang province, told Xinhua news agency,
Mr Liu said 13 other pregnant Siberian tigers would give birth to between 20 and 30 new cubs before October.
The centre, established in 1986, holds 750 Siberian tigers and plans to release 620 of them into the wild in the future, he says.
The Siberian tiger, also known as Amur, Manchurian or Ussuri tiger, is among the 10 most endangered species in the world.
Only 400 survive in the wild, about 20 in northern China and the rest in the Russian Far East, the report says.
