China : Monday, 24 May 2011 (Local Time)
A Chineese zoo official says two rare cubs born to a male lion and a female tiger (that’s how they get their names) are being nursed by a dog after they were abandoned by their mother.
Cong Wen of Xixiakou Wildlife Zoo in eastern China says four cubs called ligers were born to the lion and tiger earlier this month.
An 8-year-old white tiger mother gave birth on Friday morning to four cubs belonging to a relatively rare species after she gave birth to quadruplets last September.
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She said Tuesday the tiger mother fed the ligers for four days but then abandoned them for unknown reasons. Two died of weakness.
Cong said staff at the zoon in Shandong province found a dog who had just given birth to feed the surviving cubs. The dog mom is now nursing not just the liger cubs but her own puppies, as well.
She said the two cubs had trouble at first dringking the dog but are now used to it.
Ligers are rare and sometimes bred in zoos by mistake.
Materials from: www.nytimes.com, www.chinadaily.com.cn and www.washingtonpost.com
