China's largest zoo will open in September in the ice city of Harbin, capital of northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province, the city's urban administration said.

The Harbin Northern Forest Zoo, 41 kilometers from Harbin city proper, covers 848 hectares.

The zoo will house 5,800 animals of 240 species, including Manchurian tiger, white tiger, wolf, cheetah, African elephant, polar bear, penguin, giant panda and rhinoceros.

The zoo would conduct research on wild animals, the administration said.

To help the animals get through Harbin's freezing winters, particularly those from tropical areas, enclosures have been equipped with heating systems in accordance with their natural habitats.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2004)