'Tiger-style' death sets back S. African conservation program

A rare South China tiger has been killed by another of the cats that had been trained to survive in the wild at a South African reserve set up to try and save the subspecies, setting back a decade-long conservation program.

The tiger known as 327, which hadn't been trained to survive in the wild, broke into an enclosure and attacked a “rewilded” tiger that had been accustomed to hunting for its own food in the reserve, Save China Tigers said in a statement on its Website dated Sept. 26.

Tiger 327 wasn't put through “rewilding” training due to his age when he arrived in South Africa from Suzhou Zoo in 2007 and was “no match” for his opponent, Save China Tigers said. The dead tiger has fathered 12 tiger cubs and another tigress is pregnant after mating with him, the group said.

“Although I only knew him for a short time he made a big impression,” Hein Funck, the reserve manager, said in the statement. “I'll miss his cheeky strut and loving rumble.”

There are less than 100 South China tigers in the world with only 60 of those in captivity, according to Save China Tiger's website.

“The loss of just one breeding male is profound,” Li Quan, the group's founding director, said in the statement. “He died a heroic death, tiger-style.”

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin at asguazzinbloomberg.net