‘Obese’ Siberian tigers in China zoo raise giggles but also health concerns

Photographs of tubby Siberian tigers at a zoo in China have gone viral online. Photo: Handout.

BEIJING: Photos that went viral of tubby Siberian tigers at a Chinese zoo have sparked concern among animal welfare organisations after state media said it was “natural” for the animals to pile on the weight for winter.

Images of a group of the obese-looking Siberian tigers lolling around in the state-run Siberian Tiger Park in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, went viral online recently with many social media users joking that the caged cats had, like them, been too well fed over the Lunar New Year holiday.