Captive-bred tiger cubs complete initial habitat training
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Xinhua, December 21, 2011
Five captive-bred Bengal tiger cubs, led by their adoptive mother, a Siberian tiger, have finished their initial training that began in late October in a near-wild environment in northeast Heilongjiang Province.
"This is the first time for a mother tiger to walk with cubs in the wild field zone," said Liu Dan, head designer of the Heilongjiang Siberian Tiger Park, the world's largest Siberian tiger breeding base located in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang.
The five tiger cubs were born at the park in July, but because their mother was not willing to take care of them, the staff chose the seven-year-old Siberian tiger, who is an experienced mother.
Through the training, the five cubs have become so adapted to the wild environment that they can walk back to their dens without the mother's guidance, Liu said.
The cubs learn survival skills from the mother and develop their sensibilities in the wild in this specially-designed zone, which was created to prepare tigers for their return to their natural habitat, Liu said.
Built in 1986, the breeding base is home to about 1,000 Siberian tigers and also raises other big cats, such as lions and Bengal tigers.
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