China tiger, an endangered species native to the southern part
of China, has been proposed as a mascot for the 2008 Beijing
Olympic Games, sources said Sunday.
Forestry and agriculture officials in Suzhou, a scenic city in
Jiangsu Province, one of two main areas where the tigers still
survive, are actively campaigning for the tiger.
Huang Gongqing, who is in charge of the Suzhou South China Tiger
Propagation Center, said South China tigers, which are unique to
China, fully embody the bravery, enterprise and wisdom of the
Chinese people.
In Longyan City, the home of another major south China tigers
breeding center, the Meihuashan South China Tiger Propagation and
Wildlife Adaptation Research Center, officials also support the
application.
Zhang Xiefei, Party secretary of Longyan City, said the local
government would render active support to the campaign.
He said that using south China tigers as an Olympic mascot would
enhance China's reputation in protecting endangered species and the
environment.
The proposal has been supported by foreign non-governmental
organizations too.
Quan Li with the International Federation for Salvage of Chinese
Tigers said she supported releasing tigers into the wild but hoped
the Olympic Games in 2008 would use Chinese tigers as a mascot to
promote Chinese culture overseas.
There are fewer than 100 south China tigers remaining, and
only20 to 30 live in the wild. The rest live in zoos. The species
is listed as one of the world's ten most endangered animals.
Lianyungang, a port city in Jiangsu Province, has applied for
the Monkey King as the mascot of the 2008 Olympic Games in
Beijing.
(Xinhua News Aency July 27, 2003)