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Zoo News
Tiger Feat Hits the Highlands!
The Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie, near Aviemore, is now home to a breeding pair of rare Amur tigers. The pair, named Yuri and Sasha, were transported from Edinburgh Zoo last week and have now settled into their new home in the Highlands. With only 500 remaining in the wild, it is hoped that the pair will continue to contribute to the worldwide breeding programme, which acts as a safety-net against extinction.
Although the wild population of Amur tigers is healthier now than it has been since before World War II, a high level of protection is still required. Extinction is still a serious threat due to poaching for Chinese traditional medicine, hunting of its prey species and habitat loss. Yuri and Sasha have already contributed to boosting numbers in the captive population by successfully rearing six cubs.
Edinburgh Zoo’s Amur tigers have been replaced by a young pair of Sumatran tigers. The Zoo’s new arrivals, named Tibor and Chandra, are just over a year old and arrived from Heidelberg Zoo in Germany last week. Like the Amur tiger, Sumatran tigers are critically endangered with only a few hundred remaining in the wild.
Doug Richardson, Animal Collection Manager at Highland Wildlife Park said:
“All of us at the Park are very excited about having these living conservation icons in our care. The arrival of the tigers is the latest step in the evolution of the Highland Wildlife Park and one that I am sure will help to raise our profile both within and outside of the Highlands community.”
Scott Armstrong, VisitScotland’s Regional Director, added:
“This is extremely encouraging news and could potentially result in increased visitor numbers to not only the Park but also the surrounding areas. Due to the current economic climate, it’s a great time to explore what’s on our doorsteps and these tigers will mean a unique experience for both locals and those venturing from further a field.”
Editor's Notes
About Amur Tigers
- Previously known as Siberian tigers, the Amur tiger was renamed in the 1990’s when the last tigers disappeared from Siberia. They are now found only in isolated populations around the Amur river valley in the far east of Russia, hence their new name.
- It is estimated that there are around 500 Amur tigers remaining in the wild.
- The Amur tiger is the largest of all the big cats. Amur tigers have excellent vision, they see in colour, to some degree, and their night vision is five times better than humans.
- Yuri and Sasha have successfully reared two sets of cubs. They had three in 2000 and another three in 2003.
About Sumatran Tigers
- Sumatran tigers are only found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
- Sumatran tigers are the smallest sub-species of tiger. The stripes on their coat are narrower than on any other sub-species and they have a more prominent neck ruff.
- The main threat to the wild population is habitat loss and poaching for the traditional medicine trade.
- Tibor and Chandra arrived at Edinburgh Zoo on 1 October
- To comply with quarantine regulations, Tibor and Chandra have to be separated from any type of contact with other animals for a period of six months. During this period they can be seen in the jaguar enclosure. The pair of jaguars has been moved to the tiger enclosure.
About Highland Wildlife Park
- Until recently, the Highland Wildlife Park’s animal collection contained species representing Scotland’s past and present such as Scottish wildcats and European wolves. The expanded new collection includes many of its existing animals but has been widened to include animals from mountain and tundra habitats from around the world.
- The planned re-development is expected to take three to five years and it is hoped that the increase in visitor numbers will help fund conservation work in the wild, both in Scotland and further afield.
- The Highland Wildlife Park is owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland which also owns Edinburgh Zoo.
- The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is a registered charity, charity no SC004064.
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