A hospital was opened in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province Saturday specifically for the care of 300 Siberian tigers in the province's Siberian Tiger Park.

The hospital is equipped with X-ray and B-ultrasonic machines and infant boxes, and is staffed by nine veterinarians, said hospital president Wang Wei. Sick tigers were previously sent to regular hospitals for examinations.

However, major operations still have to be done outside the park, said Wang.

Siberian tigers, the largest of all tigers, live mainly in northeast China, and deep in the mountains and forests of Russian Siberia. It is believed there are less than 300 Siberian tigers left in the wild, including less than 10 in China.

The World Wide Fund for Nature has included Siberian tigers in its list of the world's 10 most endangered animals.

The park in Harbin is the world's largest artificial propagation base for Siberian tigers. The current number of 300 is expected to rise to 1,000 by 2010.

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