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| Caretakers of this 2-month-old tiger cub are seeking suggestions for his name. |
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The rare South China Tiger cub born Nov. 23, 2007 on a tiger reserve in South Africa needs a name, and those caring for him are seeking suggestions from the public.
The founder of Save China’s Tigers, Li Quan, said the cub is healthy, growing quickly and currently weighs just over 16 pounds, up from his birth weight of 2.6 pounds. He’s very playful and has already demonstrated a few inherent tiger characteristics when he attacks his toys, towel and carpet. Before he chews his food or toys, he shakes them vigorously, she said.
Name submissions will be accepted through Feb. 21, 2008. Save China’s Tigers will decide among the entries and will announce the new name at the end of February. Visit the Save China’s Tigers website to suggest a name.
South China Tigers are critically endangered because the big cats have been the targets of poachers, and population fragmentation and habitat loss threaten the few that remain, according to the World Conservation Union. Experts estimate that there are only about 30 left in the wild, with another 60 living in zoos and on reserves. The numbers are so fragile that the World Wildlife Fund has declared the big cat functionally extinct.