Tiger, lions not yet saved due to valley climate

The plan to rescue one endangered tiger and two lions from a Shifang wild animal park was postponed due to bad weather, with one military helicopter almost downed in southwest China's Sichuan Province yesterday, local media reported.

Despite careful preparation, the rescue effort did not go smoothly. Due to bad weather in the valley, the first planned rescue was postponed. A new attempt will be made today, Ge Yujin, an Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff, told the Tianfu Morning Post.

Three white lions and two white tigers had been trapped in the park since the May 12 quake. Breeders had trekked into the valley on June 5, bringing beef to feed the bony and starving animals. Two days ago a 2-year-old tiger was shot dead by soldiers to protect the safety of quake survivors, while another white lion has already starved to death. It is hoped to transport the remaining two white lions and one white tiger to the Bifengxia Zoo in Ya'an City.

However, a Super Puma copter heading to Shifang City to evacuate the animals made a forced landing at 12:35 PM yesterday when it encountered mechanical problems. Three people were injured, one critically, said an official with the Shifang Municipal Quake Relief and Rescue Headquarters when speaking to Xinhua News Agency.

The injured were evacuated by another helicopter. A preliminary report had indicated that no one was injured in the accident. The chopper had 13 crew and quake relief staff aboard when the accident happened. The aircraft belongs to Citic Offshore Helicopter Co. Ltd.

The Deyang Municipal Government this week agreed with the airborne force to airlift the animals out of the Happy Valley Park. Over 50 soldiers and rescuers were sent into the valley by helicopter yesterday while a temporary platform in a former parking lot of the resort was also set up for copter landing.

The white tiger is still alive, as well as two lions.

At 9:00 AM yesterday morning, the chopper took off from Guanghan City's airport. A Bifengxia Zoo's transport vehicle was standing by at the airport with a special veterinary team led by the zoo chief. According to the plan, the two lions would be carried out first by noon.

30 soldiers and forest rangers in the valley already had the two lions and the tiger in cages under only a small dose of narcotics. The three cages had been sent in at 5:00 PM on June 10.

Even though the lions were less than 1 kilometer away from the platform, it would take almost 3 hours for the rescuers to hand-carry the animals in their cages, weighing hundreds of kilograms, trekking along the mudslide-damaged road.

At about 4 PM the three cages reached the platform.

However, Lu Erxue, the chief of the quake relief center of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), said due to the bad and suddenly-changing weather, and the steep, narrow and complicated terrain in the valley, yesterday's rescue efforts failed.

Several choppers tried to make their way from Guanghan airport to the park during the afternoon, but most had to return, and one had to carry out a forced landing.

A chopper is taking off from Guanghan City's airport to rescue two lions and a tiger.

At 7:00 PM, 2 air force soldiers, 5 breeders and 2 reporters in the valley were temporarily back in Guanghan. The rescue effort is due to continue today. Wangguan Group, the parent company of the park, said they have reached a preliminary agreement with the International Fund for Animal Welfare to help the tiger and lions after they are evacuated.

The Happy Valley park is an alpine scenic spot and an entertainment park in Hongbai Town, Shifang City, attracting tourists and explorers. After the earthquake on May 12 the road was blocked, and there has since been a power blackout.

In the quake relief effort, one chopper has already tragically crashed. All 18 people on board, five crew members and 13 injured civilians, died in the accident. The bodies were recovered on Tuesday at the crash site near the epicenter town of Yingxiu after a 12-day search, and the black box voice recorder was found Wednesday.