(CN) Rare pair travel cub class to South Africa

September 2, 2003

South China Morning Post

Tuesday, September 2, 2003

The young tigers are heading for a new life in the wild

by PATSY MOY

Passengers flying from Hong Kong to Johannesburg early today had two

unusual escorts aboard - two South China tiger cubs from Shanghai's zoo.

The young pair, Hope and Cathay, were sent to start new lives in South

Africa under a conservation programme organised by the Save China's Tigers

conservation foundation.

They were on a Boeing 747 Cathay Pacific flight which took off about

midnight and will arrive at 6am local time in Johannesburg. Under the

programme, three to seven more members of their families will join them over

the next five years. It is hoped that they can be taught how to survive in

the wild.

Cathay and Hope, together with any offspring they might have, will

return to China once construction of a pilot natural reserve is completed in

2008.

Like the human passengers, the young tigers were required to undergo

health checks before they were allowed to board the plane.

Cathay and Hope were the centre of attention as they arrived from

Beijing on a Dragonair flight at 5pm yesterday with Hong Kong-based movie

star Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng greeting them.

Yeoh, the Hong Kong-based star of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, said

she was happy to take up the job as patron of Save China's Tigers.

" When I was about eight years old, I got a chance to see tigers back

in Malaysia and I was in the car at that time and accompanied by my parents.

So I was not scared, " said the actress.

Yeoh added that she was born in the Year of the Tiger.

Quan Li, the founder of Save China's Tigers, said the organisation did

not have many alternatives but she believed it would be the best option to

save the endangered species.

They are now fewer than 100 of the big cats left and they could be

wiped out in less than a decade unless action is taken, said Ms Quan.

However, Dr Gail Cochrane from the Animals Asia Foundation in Hong

Kong

said the tigers should be raised in China rather than overseas as they might

not be able to adapt to a different environment and weather conditions.

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