The country's largest course for animal sports and performances will be finished in construction last month in the Shanghai Wild Animal Park, Shanghai Morning News has reported.

The project of 35 million yuan (US$4.2million)will probably hold the first performance to entertain circus lovers in October.

Training of elephants,leopards,ostriches and other animals to perform has been started already,park officials said.

The course of 4.2 hectares will have some 3,000 seats,16 boxes and an electronic screen of 150square meters.It will have a raceway of 400 meters long and 16meters wide.

The course will also be suitable for large-scale itinerant show of animals, officials said.

( eastday.com August 13, 2002)