A rare south China tiger in a protection center in Longyan City, east China's Fujian Province, gave birth to three cubs early Wednesday morning, according to local sources.

Workers at the tiger protection center said both the mother tiger and the three cubs are in good condition.

Two of the newborn tigers weigh 1.1 kg and the other is 0.2 kg lighter. The tigress also produced three cubs in July 2001, though only two survived.

South China tigers, top the list of the world's 10 most endangered species. Experts say the total population is less than 100, of which 50 live in menageries. Only around 30 south China tigers live in the wild in China.

A south China tiger breeding project was launched in 1998 in Longyan City, which is believed to be the most suitable habitat for the endangered tigers. The tiger protection center, birthplace of the new cubs, is part of the project.

So far, 20 million yuan (US$2.43 million) has been invested in the project and a total of eight south China tigers live in the protection center.

(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2002)