A total of 100 Bengal tigers and 2,000 crocodiles traveled by a Boeing 747 jumbo jet on Wednesday from Thailand to their new home in the tourist city of Sanya in south China's Hainan Province.

According to Beijing Youth Daily's report, the live cargo will go to a new tiger and crocodile breeding center in Sanya.

The center was set up by a Sino-Thai venture and will form part of a wildlife park where tourists can visit the animals from next October.

The tigers and crocodiles were imported from Si Racha Tiger Zoo, one of the largest zoos in Thailand.

"It is very rare for as many as 100 tigers to be imported into a city at one time," Wu Wenxue, vice-mayor of Sanya said, according to the report.

To ensure a safe trip, tigers were loaded into separate wooden cases. The crocodiles had their jaws tightly bound and were housed in 300 wooden containers, with staff pouring water over them to keep them alive.

The animals' blood tests have been delayed for a few days while they recover from the long trip, according to Sanya Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.

To welcome these guests, 55 military vehicles and nearly 1,000 soldiers have also been invited to help transport the animals in containers from the airport to the breeding center.

The new arrivals have also aroused great interest among the local people.

Resident Liang Qihai said he and his 3-year-old son went to the airport to meet the guests after finishing their supper.

With so many unexpected animals "invading" Sanya, the security issue has become the focus of conversation among local residents. Some children who have never seen tigers or crocodiles even felt a little frightened when they heard the animals were on their way.

But the new arrivals already have plenty on the menu.

More than 20 tons of frozen chicken has been transported from East China's Shandong Province as feed.

(China Daily December 27, 2002)