就在全世界的动物保护组织竭力保护濒危动物老虎的同时,中国一个动物园有11只珍稀的东北虎在过去三个月中相继死亡。这些东北虎是在辽宁省沈阳森林野生动物园死亡的。地方当局说,死亡原因是营养不良。

中国官方的新华社星期四报导,动物园经济效益不好,只给老虎喂食便宜的鸡架。去年11月曾发生饥饿的老虎袭击动物园饲养员事件,在救援过程中两只老虎被射杀。中国有数千只老虎被圈养,野外自由生存的老虎只有大约50只了。估计珍稀的东北虎只有20只左右。

Eleven rare Siberian tigers have died in a Chinese zoo over the past three months, as conservation groups worldwide struggle to protect the endangered cat.The tigers died in the Shenyang Forest Wild Animal Zoo in the capital of the northeastern province of Liaoning. Local authorities say the animals died of malnutrition.

Chinese official news agency, Xinhua, reported Thursday that the cash-poor zoo fed the tigers only cheap chicken bones. Hungry tigers attacked a zoo worker in November and two of the tigers were killed during the rescue. China has thousands of tigers living in captivity, but only about 50 are left roaming in the wild. An estimated 20 are the rare Siberian sub-species.