Wildlife experts say that the two tigers that were spotted around Mount Tai in early June have now disappeared.

They have not been seen, despite the efforts of more than 100 search teams, who have been looking for the big cats for more than two weeks.

Mount Tai has been declared safe, and scenic attractions that closed down have now re-opened.

Because the tigers' whereabouts is unknown, some search teams will remain on the look out at some major spots, ensuring the safety of both local people and visitors, the Taian Information Office said yesterday.

Sun Haiyi, an expert with Heilongjiang Endangered Animal Research Institute, said yesterday that the tigers on Mount Tai were not wild.

Sun came to this conclusion after several days' fieldwork examining tiger fur and footprints, and after talking to eye witnesses.

"Shandong has had no recorded wild tigers for more than 100 years. No sub-species is thought to exist around Mount Tai, so these tigers must have been raised in captivity, such as by a zoo or a collector, and then they escaped," said the expert.

As to where tigers have gone, experts say there are several possibilities.

The tigers could have left the Mount Tai area.

Tigers do not usually stay in the same place for long and so if Mount Tai was not suitable they might have left already.

The tigers might also have starved to death as no livestock are reported to have been killed, and there is little wildlife for them to hunt .

Five or six local people reported seeing the tigers in the mountainous Donglu area on June 8 and around Tianzhu Peak on June 11.

Most of the witnesses were adults who could recognize the animal. The tigers were thought to be a baby and a two-year-old adult.

In the past two weeks Taian organized and sent squads to search for the tigers.

But they found nothing, except for several tiger footprints and faeces.

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2005)