Rare White Tigers Reside in Northeast ChinaTwo white tigers have been removed from their former homes in Germany and the United States respectively to a forest zoo in Dalian, a port city in northeast China, zoo keepers said Thursday.It is the first time that local people have had a chance to see such rare animals, which are on the top state protection list. De (the Chinese character meaning Germany) Meng, male, which is one and half years' old, and one-year-old tigress Mei (the Chinese character referring the United States) Jia, got on well with each other soon after they met, zoo keepers said. If the tigers succeed in mating, visitors can expect to see tiger cubs in two years, they added. Covered with white and grey fur, De Meng and Mei Jia are considered a mutant of Bengal tiger, according to experts. They possess similar habits as the Siberian tiger, but with a smaller body size and more docile nature. The zoo offers six kg of mutton to the couple every day, with only one day off a week to keep their original beast ferity. Nowadays zoos in Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai and Beijing keep white tigers in captivity. Apart from the new white tigers, the Dalian forest zoo also raises white rhinos and white bears. |
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