Park's Siberian tigers get a 'light-fasting' program

To counter the health risks posed by overfeeding from visitors during the busy Spring Festival period, the Siberian Tiger Park in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, has implemented a "light-fasting" rotation plan for the big cats in its 13 free-range areas.

Under a daily rotation system, one free-range area is designated each day as a light-fasting zone, where visitors are prohibited from throwing meat strips. The other areas remain open for feeding, according to a public notice released by the park on Jan 20.

The policy will be in effect from Feb 1 to March 31, the notice said.

Park data shows a surge in visitor numbers during the Spring Festival holiday, with more than 10,000 people arriving daily.

Siberian tigers are among the world's critically endangered species and primarily inhabit northeastern China and eastern Russia.

The park is one of the three operated by the China Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Center, the country's main breeding center for the endangered tigers. The other two facilities are in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province, and Shenyang, Liaoning province.

The park houses more than 300 Siberian tigers of various ages, of which nearly 200 live in the free-range areas.

At designated feeding points, visitors can throw beef and live chickens to the tigers, offering a close-up interaction with the animals.

"Since the start of the winter tourism peak at the beginning of the year, especially during Spring Festival, visitors have been very enthusiastic about feeding tigers," said Huang Haitao, director of the park's feeding and veterinary department.

"We implemented the light-fasting plan to prevent overburdening the tigers' digestive systems, which could lead to health problems, and to avoid weakening their hunting instincts," Huang added.

According to Huang, the rotating light-fasting model allows tigers to periodically restore their natural hunger rhythms, giving each animal time to regulate its digestive system.

"It also helps avoid the impact of concentrated fasting on the visitor experience," he said.

To ensure smooth implementation, the park has used entrance notices, sightseeing bus broadcasts and on-site personnel guidance to inform visitors about scientific feeding practices and seek their understanding and cooperation.

"We receive large numbers of visitors every day during the winter season, and feeding the tigers has always been popular," said Zhang Weihua, a sightseeing bus driver. "After the plan was introduced, we explained and reminded visitors not to feed tigers in the fasting area. They have been very cooperative."

"In areas where feeding is allowed, we try to create opportunities for visitors to successfully feed the tigers to prevent disappointment for those who travel from afar," he said.

Many tourists said that although they could not feed tigers in the fasting area, they understood the measure was intended to protect the animals' long-term health and supported the park's scientific management.

"I used to think feeding the tigers more meant caring for them, but now I realize that reasonable control is the true protection," said Zhou Wei, a tourist from Haikou city in Hainan province.

Breeders also adjust the light-fasting schedule based on the tigers' health, visitor flow and feeding needs to ensure the measures are implemented in a scientific and humane manner.

"For example, if we find that some celebrity tigers are overfed, we will promptly isolate them for fasting and health monitoring,"Huang said. "In the future, we will continue to improve the scientific breeding system, allowing the tigers to thrive in a suitable environment and contribute to the conservation of Siberian tigers in China."