Make HuffPost Your HomePage
Get Email Alerts
South China Tiger Born in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — A South China tiger was born at a wildlife reserve in South Africa, conservationists said Tuesday _ the first such birth outside China.
Only about 60 South China tigers exist in captivity, and fewer than 30 survive in the wild, according to Li Quan, founder of Save China's Tigers.
The male cub was born Friday and weighed more than 2 1/2 pounds, Li said in a statement from the Laohu Valley Reserve in central Free State province.
"Although his eyes have not yet opened, he is already quite vocal, especially at feeding time," Li said.
She said the cub was "healthy and strong," but had to be separated from his mother, 4 1/2-year-old Cathay, because of the unseasonably cold weather.
The cub's father is 3 1/2-year-old TigerWoods, Li said. Eventually, the cub will join its parents on the reserve.
"The rewilding program of these highly endangered South China Tigers has taken a major step forward with the birth of this cub," Li said. "The tigers brought to South Africa from China have now not only proven they can hunt and fend for themselves, they have also proven that cubs can be bred in a natural environment."
Outside of zoos, there are no tigers in Africa.
The South China tiger, also called the Amoy or Xiamen tiger, is thought to be the ancestor of all tigers, according to the World Wildlife Fund. It is considered critically endangered, due mainly to loss of habitat.
November 27, 2007 03:55 PM EST |