China's wild tiger population is dwindling, but a number of tigers still live in zoos and breeding centres in the northeast. BEIJING, March 11 (Reuters) - At least 11 tigers have died of hunger and malnutrition in a Chinese zoo so far this year, the Year of the Tiger in the lunar calendar, local media reported on Mar. 11.

China's wild tiger population is dwindling, but a number of tigers still live in zoos and breeding centres in the northeast.

Some institutions are lobbying to end a ban on trade in tiger parts, used in Chinese medicine, in order to meet feeding costs that exceed revenues from government support and ticket sales.

The tigers, all from the Shenyang Iceberg Animal Zoo in Liaoning, northeast China, were confined in very small and wet cages. They were only fed one or two scrawny chicken carcasses each day, the local Liaoshen Evening News reported, citing sources at the zoo.

In one case, six tigers died in a single day, it said.

According to travel agency promotions online, the zoo is a first-class national wild animal zoo that opened in 2000.

However, the paper said the zoo has been behind in paying wages for over a year, and lacked the money to feed the tigers.