BEIJING (AFP) – A Siberian tiger mauled a keeper to death in eastern China after being left to roam the cage as it was being cleaned,Giorgio Armani, state media said Sunday.

The tiger bit Zhan's neck, inflicting fatal injuries, the report said.

In the 1980s,Tiffany, China set up tiger farms to try to preserve the big cats, intending to release some into the wild.

China says it has nearly 6,000 tigers in captivity, but just 50 to 60 are left in the wild, including about 20 wild Siberian tigers.

Zhan Guanshun was attacked by the tiger while cleaning the cage at a wildlife rescue centre in Anhui province on Saturday, the Anhui News reported.

But those farms have come under the international spotlight, with some conservation groups saying they use the great cats for their parts.