The construction of a major wild animal park started this week in central China's Hubei Province.

The 40hectare park, located in the Jinyingang Forest Zone, will be home to 120wild animals such as tigers, bears and African lions, and it will become a breeding, training and research center for wildlife.

The park is 45kilometers away from the dam of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China's largest water conservancy project on the Yangtze River.

The park will open to public on May 1this year.

(Eastday.com 03/01/2001)