Breeding center welcomes 98 Siberian tiger cubs this year

HARBIN -- Ninety-eight Siberian cubs have been born this year at a breeding center in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, the center said Tuesday.

The newborns have brought the total number of Siberian tigers to more than 1,000 at the China Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Center, the world's largest breeding base for the endangered species.

The center has set up two forest parks for the Siberian tigers, in the provincial capital of Harbin and the city of Mudanjiang respectively.

"We control the number of Siberian tigers born every year in order to ensure the pedigree of the species," said Liu Dan, chief engineer of the park in Harbin.

Li Xin, a keeper at the park, is responsible for looking after the newborns. His daily work includes feeding and weighing the cubs, monitoring their temperatures, as well as cleaning the nursery, and keeping it ventilated.

Siberian tigers are one of the world's most endangered species. They mainly live in northeast China and eastern Russia.