HAVANA: Another rare Bengal tiger cub was born at Cuba’s National Zoo in Havana, zookeepers said on Friday, just over a year after four of the striped and adorable baby beasts — among them a rare white tiger — graced the grounds.
The birth of all the cubs comes after trying for 20 years to breed the endangered felines.
All the cubs were born to Fiona and her mate, Garfield.
Sadly, the new cub is the sole survivor of a litter of four born two weeks ago, as his siblings suffered from severe neurological problems and perished.
Born underweight, the newcomer, who has yet to be named, is being cared for in the artificial breeding department of the zoo where he is reported to be “frisky.”
“The birth of the cub was a joy. It was so small and we have been feeding it milk and caring for it in other ways,” 21-year-old Maria Karla Gutierrez, one of its care givers, said as she cuddled the small cat.
Thousands of the Bengal tigers, known for their orange coats, once roamed the forests in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. But their numbers have plummeted to about 2,500, wildlife experts say. Poaching, deforestation and over-hunting have all taken their toll.
Three of the world’s nine tiger sub-species became extinct last century, and many scientists believe a fourth, the South China tiger, is already functionally extinct.
The National Zoo, a wildlife park, is a favorite attraction for Cubans, with 1,473 specimens of more than 120 species, including large animals such as elephants and rhinos.
“For the park, for the country and for the world it is a very beautiful thing since tigers are in danger of extinction,” zoological veterinarian Angel Cordero said.
“It makes us proud. We are very happy and we are going to continue reproducing the animals,” he said.
Fifth endangered Bengal tiger born in Cuban zoo
https://arab.news/9vvfw
Fifth endangered Bengal tiger born in Cuban zoo
- The birth of all the cubs comes after trying for 20 years to breed the endangered felines
- Sadly, the new cub is the sole survivor of a litter of four born two weeks ago, as his siblings suffered from severe neurological problems and perished
Lunar New Year bowing service in China stokes controversy
- Customers could hire proxies to bow and show respect for family members
- Odd jobs app UU Paotui withdraws service after online outrage and mockery
BEIJING: A Chinese odd jobs mobile app has canceled a service that let users hire proxies to bow to their elderly relatives during Lunar New Year family visits, sparking scrutiny of China’s “hire-anyone-for-anything” service sector. Promotional images of the now-deleted service depicted an orange uniform-clad delivery worker on their knees bowing, forehead nearly on the floor, in front of a smiling elderly couple. Online responses ranged from outrage to mockery.
“Filial piety should not be commoditized,” one Weibo user said, referring to the culture of respect for and deference to older family members.
Visiting loved ones and offering good wishes are an important part of the traditional Lunar New Year holiday, although bowing is not widely practiced today.
“After careful consideration, we have voluntarily removed the services that caused controversy,” said odd jobs app UU Paotui, based in central China’s Henan, in a Wednesday WeChat post.
As of Friday, the app still offered a New Year greeter service — with immediate dispatch options — but the 999 yuan ($144.77), two-hour bowing-for-hire package was no longer visible.
Buyers of the now-deleted bowing package could hire gig workers to buy and send gifts, “perform traditional etiquette,” and offer “one minute of auspicious blessings” to loved ones, among other services. The services were meant to help people living far from their families and those with mobility issues maintain traditional customs, UU Paotui said, adding it would offer triple compensation to customers who had already booked.
People who have moved away for work typically return home to visit their families for the most important festival on the Chinese calendar, creating a travel rush commonly referred to as the world’s largest annual human migration. In a nod to the increasingly virtual nature of social life in China, UU Paotui suggested replacing the in-person visits with an app could help avoid awkward social interactions.
“If you don’t want to have social anxiety during the new year, the experience has to be online!” said a Monday Weibo post announcing the service.
Time-poor consumers boost proxy services
Proxy services are not uncommon in China, where labor costs are relatively low and convenience is at a premium for urban consumers.
Outside the holiday period, UU Paotui users can hire someone through the app to accompany them to hospital, feed their pets, or wait in queues at restaurants and other busy locations.
A Wednesday commentary in the People’s Daily, the Communist Party newspaper, called the bowing service “very awkward” and urged closer scrutiny of the proxy service industry.
“Real innovation should meet needs while also safeguarding values,” it said, pointing out that paying a proxy to cover work shifts, for example, could come with legal risks. The controversy comes amid increasing concern for China’s often overworked delivery workers, who can sometimes be seen sprinting through shopping malls and residential compounds to deliver an order on time.
President Xi Jinping met delivery workers on Wednesday to wish them a happy new year and acknowledge their hard work.
“The city couldn’t function without workers like you,” he said.
