From Heilongjiang: Dilemma of captive breeding

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We stay with our reporter Liu Ying as she tours the country's northeast. The dense forests in Heilongjiang and Jilin are home to many rare wild lives.

Manchurian tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are considered one of the most critically endangered species in the world, with a total population of just over 400 in the wild. Fewer than 20 are believed to exist in China. Numbers of growing in capitivity. But, as Liu Ying reports, there's still a long way to go before we can claim sustained survival for Asia's king of the jungle.

They are called the king of the jungle. But they only rule this park.

The Manchurian tiger park in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province is the world's largest captive breeding base for tigers. It's home to nearly one thousand big cats.

This is a major contrast to the number of tigers living in the wild. Habitat loss and illegal poaching in the past are considered the main threats. Scientists estimate that today fewer than 20 wild Manchurian tigers exist in forests and mountains of Northeast China.

Some tiger experts believe captive breeding is critical for survival of the species.

Wang Ligang, General Manger, Siberian Tiger Park, said, "Considering Manchurian tigers are in dire straits, our primary goal is to carry out wilderness training of tigers.... This is to provide support for restoring the tiger population in the wild one day in the future."

The breeding base has selected some 200 of the big cats for training in what they call the semi-wild environment. The staff has been able to see big changes in behavior.

Another consideration is ensuring a genetically diverse population in the park. The staff have been tracking the tiger DNA since 2003. They also maintain health files for each animal.