China Scene: Central

Endangered tiger pair expected to be love match

Visitors to Changsha Zoo in Hunan province will soon have a rare opportunity to see two South China tigers.

The tigers, which have not been seen in the wild for two decades, are among the most critically endangered species. There are just 72 of these small tigers left in zoos across China.

Biologists hope that the pair, a male and a female, will mate and produce offspring. The female tiger is being transferred from a zoo in Shanghai. The male will come from a zoo in Fujian province.

(Changsha Evening News)

Woman adopts childless widow as her 'mother'

When Sun Guanghua's husband died 48 years ago, she had no children or relatives to take care of her.

In 1979 she moved into a new apartment building in Changsha City, capital of Hunan province. There she met Zeng Jinhua, a younger woman who assumed the role of her daughter.

For 29 years, Zeng has assisted the widow, now 99, by washing clothes, helping with housework, and keeping her company.

(Changsha Evening News)

Police snag suspect by assisting his family

When Chen Liang stole two bulls from another farmer in his small village in Henan province last year, local police put him on their "wanted" list.

To avoid imprisonment, Chen fled his home. For over a year, he was living at large.

Recently, however, Chen returned in order to turn himself in to the authorities. His decision was prompted by a new respect for local police, after he learned that officers had been assisting his family with the wheat harvest in his absence.

(Dahe News)

Shady developer misuses police mug shots

Two police officers in Henan province recently objected when their photos appeared, without their knowledge or consent, in a local advertisement for a real estate development.

The officers, Cheng Xiaobin and Cui Hong, worried that residents of the new apartment complex might mistakenly believe they had been hired as residential security guards.

Before the officers brought their complaint to court, the real estate developer agreed to pay them 24,000 yuan ($3,453) as compensation.

(Dahe News)

(China Daily 06/10/2008 page6)