The Three Gorges Forest and Wildlife Park has opened recently, giving visitors a chance to see endangered wild animals in a protected natural habitat.

Covering 72.04 hectares, the park is 14 km from downtown Yichang in central China's Hubei Province and 45 km from the Three Gorges Dam, where a massive hydraulic project is being constructed.

Costing 120 million yuan (US$14.45 million), the park will be a wild animal protection and breeding center under the State Forestry Administration, which will take charge of salvaging, breeding and taking care of endangered wild animals in the Three Gorges area.

More than 100 species of animals will be introduced into the park.

The first group, including 50 tigers, 30 black bears, 20 African lions and 20 crocodiles has already arrived.

In order to allow tigers and lions to retain their natural, untamed character and increase their reproductive ability, park workers will carry out a series of training programs to prepare for sending the creatures back into the wild.

(Xinhua News Agency October 2, 2002)