Call me Abraham

And the Lord said unto Ried,
"Go forth to Harbin in the east, and give food to the tigers, for they are hungry."
And so he did...

Apart from the ice festival, there was another must-see in Harbin. You guessed it - the tiger park. This reserve is home to over 800 siberian tigers, the largest of the big cats weighing in at a whopping 500 lbs. on average. It is estimated that there are fewer than 20 left in the wild. I know that my grandfather, Bill Peace, was an avid hunter and a truly brave man, but even an encounter with these tigers would give him reason to change his underpants. 

Chickens tossed from "Feeding Truck"

At the tiger park, I hopped in one of the busses that drives into the field where all the tigers lay about. There were two heavily protected Toyota Land Cruisers that rode around and threw live chickens out the windows for our entertainment and the tigers' ravenous appetites. Some jumped up onto the hood before the car sped off. Back in the pedestrian friendly section, we strolled along elevated walkways protected by cages from the open population. Along the way were several vendors selling strips of meat and even live chickens for people to toss down to the tigers below. The live menu was quite scrumptious, even for Hannibal Lectur's taste: duck, rabbit, chicken, goat, and even cow (sorry Hannibal, no farva beans to compliment these simple dishes). Initially I fancied buying a goat to sacrifice on behalf of my church going brethren, but my budget disagreed - I selected two chickens instead. There was a sweet kid from Sydney traveling with his father, and I let him toss both my chickens below while I filmed it. Be warned, the video is mildly graphic. 

Chicken never knew what hit it

My biggest question during the feeding was what does a chicken think in the split second it has left before the tigers get it? The kid kept saying he felt sorry for them, but understood that it's necessary for the tigers' survival. Taking care of the tigers is a big challenge for the park since each one costs about $4,000 per year to maintain. This burden is eased by allowing the tourists to buy the food and take pleasure in feeding the tigers themselves - I know I did! 

Happiness

In addition to the Siberian tigers, there were other animals housed in the park. These included white tigers, lions, jaguars, snow leopards, and two exceptionally rare cats: the white lion and the liger. The liger is a cross between a lion and a tiger. There are only 10 known specimens in the world, all in captivity I believe. There are lots of pictures and some videos, so just click the link on the left to see them. 

As I write this I am on the train heading back to Beijing. I won't arrive until late in the evening but hopefully will be at work tomorrow. The train ride is enjoyable and the scenery is pleasant. One thing to note: if you look at satellite pictures of China, zoom in and you'll see that almost everything is farm land, all the way to the beaches. At first I thought this was odd, but from the train I have seen exactly what the images depict. I suppose it is necessary in order to feed all 1.3 billion residents.

Liger

Some of the other things I have seen from the train: a man squatting to go number-two right next to tracks as we passed, demonstrating the fine practice of defecating in public, and what I imagine to be pretty mountains shrouded by heavy pollution. There were numerous frozen streams and rivers that appeared yellow, a sad sign of polluted water that is both detrimental to the farmers and the environment here in China. Nearby factories - I've seen many on the train passing by - continue their unregulated dumping of waste into the water and air. Nevertheless, I highly encourage anyone who visits to take at least one train ride. It provides a great way to see the real China, no matter how long the journey…though I suggest you enjoy a fast train since it is nicer and far more comfortable. 

Ice Dragon