South China tiger rebuilding their numbers

The number of South China tigers, an endangered species, has gradually increased thanks to efforts made to different deployment breeding in past years.

Currently, more than 120 south China tigers are being raised in zoos, parks, natural protection zones and breeding bases in the country. But the figure was 47 in 1995.

Experts have estimated less than 30 South China tigers are now living in the wild. The South China tiger has been listed as wildlife under the State's first class protection.

To optimize the tiger cubs and avoid inbreeding, a special co-ordination work conference is held annually to help organize different deployment breeding for the tigers of birth ages in the Chinese mainland, according to Xie Zhong, deputy secretary general of China Association of Zoological Gardens, on Nov 19.

"And now the number of South China tigers being raised in zoos, parks, forestry protection zones and breeding bases have greatly risen after years of efforts made to different deployment breeding," Xie told this year's work conference in Shaoguan, a city in northern part of Guangdong province, on Nov 19.

Of the South China tigers that are being raised in the mainland, 56 are male and 64 female.

Shanghai, where 23 south China tigers are being raised, has the largest number of South China tigers in China. Guangdong comes second with 14 South China tigers.

Chongqing municipality and the cities of Suzhou in Jiangsu province, and Fuzhou in Fujian province, also have south China tigers.

The South China tiger, also known as China tiger, is an endemic species of China mainly living the areas in the south of the Yangtze River.

South China tiger, together with giant panda, have been seen as China's two national treasures.