These animals arrived to the Zoo from its Breeding Station.  The male quickly settled in his new home and can be often seen now in the outdoor enclosure where he spends a lot of time.  The female turned out to be more cautious – she still refuses to come out preferring to hide indoors.  The tiger enclosure is one of the most attractive exhibits of the Animal Island, and it provides good opportunities for the observations of the largest cat in the world.  But the zoo activities include much more than just giving visitors a chance to look at these wonderful cats.

What do the world zoos do to save tigers? 

• They inform people about critical threats to the tiger survival in the wild.  Amur tigers are found almost exclusively in Russia ... Would you like the Amur tigers to be found in our country in 20 years?
• The zoos add their special knowledge to the tiger conservation.  Without veterinary knowledge compiled by the zoos, safe anaesthesia of wild tigers for further monitoring or medical treatment would not be possible.  Zoo knowledge of small populations is becoming more and more relevant to conservation of wild tigers as their habitats are reduced in area. There are many more examples of the ways that the zoos use to facilitate conservation of wild tigers.
• The zoos take good care of their tigers trying to comply with best husbandry standards.
• The zoos provide means and professional assistance for in situ conservation projects for tigers.
• The zoos participate in the coordinated breeding programs for Amur tigers accomplishing all the above tasks in a way that prevents removal of tigers from the wild.  Even if our efforts to save the tigers in the wild fail, we will still have a reserve population of tigers which can be used for the reintroduction of animals in their wild habitats.
Management of tigers in the zoos may help to save wild populations of tigers

Did you know?
• Since 1947, the size of the wild population of Amur tiger has increased from 30 to 450 animals;
• Amur tigers have to cover huge distances in order to find and kill their prey, and their individual territories are ten times larger than those of the tigers living in tropical habitats;
• Wild bores and deer are the main prey species of tigers; an adult tiger needs about a ton of food every year;
• Striping patterns on the tiger faces are as unique as human fingerprints.

Video clip: tiger feels comfortable in the snow