Rewilding the South China Tiger - in South Africa

In 2002 Save China's Tigers - an international organization that has been established with the specific aim of protecting and conserving tigers and other endangered cat species in China, acquired the use of 17 sheep-farms totalling approximately 33 000ha near Philippolis, situated between the Free State and Northern Cape Provinces in South Africa.

A year later, with China's help, the project acquired two studbook registered South China tiger cubs, a male and female aged 7 and 8 months, respectively. These tigers were transferred to an enclosure at Mokopane Game Breeding Centre of the South African National Zoological Gardens. When they first arrived in South Africa, the two cubs, familiar only with concrete box display cages, were initially reluctant to leave the concrete pad adjacent to the gate of their otherwise natural enclosure.

They did not recognise a chicken carcass as food and they had to be fed chopped meat. Later, when they were presented with a live chicken, they approached it with curiosity. The cubs also had to become familiar with a natural environment. The first time their paws touched grass, they shook them as if they had stepped onto a foreign surface.

Hunting is a learned behaviour

The project clearly demonstrates that, initially, captive-born tigers do not recognise potential prey, and that hunting is a learned behaviour. Though the ability to hunt is innate, the skill necessary to hunt successfully takes many months to learn. South African wildlife management experience suggests that large fenced enclosures are needed. These areas must contain sufficient free ranging wild prey so that animals can learn to hunt on their own. The project is in an early phase, but all second-generation tigers (except those born recently) have also passed the first stage of rewilding. They now hunt on their own. The next stage is to prepare reintroduction sites in China and to build up natural prey at these sites.

For more:

• MarketWatch: Rewilding the South China Tiger

• Save China's tigers: http://www.savechinastigers.org/

  (Image: http://english.savechinastigers.org/tigerphotos)