Siberian tigers: Four rare cubs born in China

Tiger cubs born in China

A 17-year-old Siberian tigress has given birth to four cubs at the Hengdaohezi Siberian Tiger Park in north-east China.

The tigress has given birth to several cubs over the years and this latest litter, born on 29 May, includes three female tigers and one male tiger.

Siberian tigers are an endangered species, with fewer than 1,000 living in the wild.

Caretakers at the park have been closely checking the health of the tigress and her cubs since the birth.

Siberian tigers (library photo of one shown here) are the largest of the world's big cats - as well as being the heaviest

"We have been weighing the tiger cubs every morning to see if they are gaining weight. If not, we will feed them with extra milk," said Zang Yingying, a caretaker at the park.

Since the beginning of May, the park has seen a number of new arrivals with a total of 23 tiger cubs born in just a few weeks.

The park caretakers need to keep a close eye on the cubs, some of whom risk being abandoned by their mothers and needing to be fed by bottle.

The Siberian Tiger Park, an important part of the China's conservation programme, opened in 1986 with 20 tigers and now has a population of over 1,000 of the big cats.