A Siberian tiger in a wildlife zoo in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province has given birth to septuplets, chinanews.com reported on Monday.
After a three-hour labor, a Siberian tiger gave birth to septuplets on May 10, the report said.
A stewed chicken was added to the tiger’s daily diet as a treat during the postpartum period.
The mother and the septuplets are currently in good condition. The tiger cubs will be fed by breeders after they are one month old, as seven is too many for the new mom.
According to the report, more than a hundred tigers live in the Yunnan wildlife park, which is highly skilled in the breeding of tigers. Nonetheless, the successful delivery and survival of septuplets was rare, said Li Youlong, who is in charge of animal management at the park.
As of 2016, the number of Siberian tigers was estimated to be less than 500, according to statistics from The Beijing News. China is working to save the species through captive breeding programmes. (GlobalTimes)