Some 100 cubs expected in world's largest Siberian tiger breeding base in 2010

HARBIN, Nov. 22 -- Some 100 cubs were expected to be born in the world's largest Siberian tiger artificial breeding center in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province in 2010, or the year of tiger in China.

The first heavy snow on Nov. 13 in the provincial capital Harbin City made more than 400 Siberian tigers in the park excited, especially those in the oestrous period, said Liu Dan, chief engineer of the Heilongjiang Siberian Tiger Park, on Sunday.

The Siberian tiger has a three-month pregnancy period and always gives birth at the end of spring and the beginning of summer.

The park will give more nutrition to the tigers in the oestrous period, Liu said.

The park is the largest breeding base for Siberian tigers in the world. It was established in 1986 together with the Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Center in the suburb of Harbin. The population of the tigers has grown from eight to about 800.

Siberian tigers, also known as Amur or Manchurian tigers, are among the world's 10 most endangered species and mostly live in northeast China and the Far East area of Russia. They are estimated to number approximately 400 in the wild, of which 20 or so live in northeast China.