Tiger cub may hold future in his paws  With his eyes open for little more than a day, an 11-day old cub, the newest addition to one of the world's rarest cat species, the South China tiger, was revealed at his birthplace in South Africa.
The birth of the exceptionally rare tiger has generated huge interest from around the world as he is the first of his species to be born in captivity outside of China.
"There has been humongous (massive) interest in this little baby," said Li Quan, founder of the Save China's Tigers Organisation, of the male tiger who was born on November 23 at Laohu Valley Reserve in the Free State Province.
"It is the first time a South China tiger is born into a project and born outside China. Because of their highly endangered state there are only about 60 to 70 left (in captivity) and between 10 and 30 in the wild," she told AFP.
"They are highly precious, there are so few of them."
The cub, who has not yet been named, was the first born to mother Cathay and father TigerWoods, who have been successfully returned to the wild in South Africa.
The cub is being hand-reared after unseasonally cold weather meant he had to be removed from his mother to prevent him from dying from exposure.
"Our first priority is to have the mother rearing cub, but we had to take into account the weather and the fact that the mother could reject the cub."
Quan said the goal would be to return the cub to the wild as well, for eventual return to China. This rehabilitation process could start as early as when he is a month old when he will be taken to see his mother and other tigers.
"So he will know he is a tiger and not a human being," said Quan.
Since the program in South Africa started in 2003, four tigers have been returned to the wild at Laohu, where they have learned to adapt and hunt.
Quan said the cub's birth should prove to detractors of the project that it could indeed be successful.
"I just hope critics stop criticising and help us to work together (to save the tigers)," she said.
The following video is from BBC's BBC World, broadcast on December 04, 2007
(with wire reports)
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