The world's largest forestry park for Siberian tigers, in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, is set to grow further under a State Forestry Administration plan.

The park will more than double from 400,000 square meters to 1 million square meters and its facilities will be improved. In addition, it's name will change to the Breeding Base for Siberian Tigers.

As a result of the plan, it will be possible to increase the number of inhabitants at the park from the existing 270 tigers to 500 by 2005 and 1,000 by 2010.

The cost of the project is estimated at 30 million yuan (US$3.61 million).

According to Wang Ligang, the park's general manager, the upgrade has been included in China's 50-year program for the protection of wildlife and nature reserves, which was initiated in 2000.

Chinese experts say there is no exaggeration to suggestions that the world's tiger population is on the brink of extinction.

The number of tigers among the five major varieties has dropped from between 100,000 and 200,000 in the middle of the last century to the current 6,000 to 7,000.

Artificial breeding, like those conducted at Harbin, has assisted in slowing the alarming trend.

The Harbin park only had eight Siberian tigers when it opened in 1986. With its present 270 Siberian Tigers, it has become the world's largest breeding center for artificially reproduced Siberian tigers.

(China Daily October 24, 2002)