(Beijing, January 21st) Save China’s Tigers held a press conference in Beijing on January 21st, asking the public to give a name to the first South China tiger cub born outside of China.
The founder of Save China’s Tigers, Ms Li Quan, said in the press conference that the tiger cub had been born in South Africa two months ago, and he is very healthy and growing quickly. Every day the tiger cub drinks 600 ml milk and has already begun to eat eggs and chicken. He now weighs 7.5 kg.
Quan said the tiger cub has shown his independent nature and is very naughty. He has also demonstrated the wild side of the South China tiger and often “attacks” his toy, towel and carpet. Before he chews his “prey” (such as toys, chicken breasts) he would shake them dramatically in his mouth.
She said the South China tiger cub, as the first born of Cathay and TigerWoods - both under rewilding training at Laohu Valley Reserve in South Africa, has received great attention from all over the world.
As to the naming and voting method, Li said the naming event will be held on Sina.com, which will last for a month after the press conference. The names will also be voted and final selection will be decided by Save China’s Tigers and the State Forestry Administration of China. The name will be publicized at the end of February and awards will be given out for the event. The criteria are:
1． Avoiding using repeated character names, such as BeiBei, Lili etc.
2． The name should reflect the cultural and historical position of South ChinaTiger.
3. The name should not exceed 3 Chinese characters.
4． The English translation should have similar meaning to the Chinese name.
Website for Voting in Chinese:
http://news.sina.com.cn/z/tigername2008/index.shtml
Website for Voting in English:
www.savechinastigers.org
Individuals or corporations interested in making a donation or sponsoring the tiger cub can contact Save China’s Tigers. The organization aims to take zoo born tigers from China, rewild them and allow them to learn to hunt for themselves again and breed them before returning the wild offspring back to China. Since 2003 four tigers have been sent to Laohu Valley reserve in South Africa for this program. They have successfully regained their survival abilities.
The birth of this South China tiger cub means the rewilding project in South Africa is working, against many skeptics and critics. The tigers have not only learned how to hunt but also bred naturally. It is a big step forward to rescue the South China Tiger from extinction. Plans are being made to establish reserves in China where the new born will eventually return to.
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