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AUSTRALIAN ZOO / SUPPLIED
Orana Wildlife Park will announce its latest additions Tuesday afternoon: two 4-year-old Sumatran tigers, Reggie and Scout, who are the only tigers on the South Island. In Reggie’s photo.
South Island tiger lovers will be able to get up close and personal with the rare big cats.
Orana Wildlife Park announced that two 4-year-old Sumatran tigers, Reggie and Scout, will be unveiled at the Christchurch Zoo on Tuesday.
The rare big cats were bred and transferred from the Australia Zoo, arriving in Christchurch on December 11. They then underwent a week-long quarantine period to make sure they didn’t represent a biosecurity problem.
Orana’s Alien Species Manager Rachael Mason said her team was very excited to work with the newcomers.
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“Scout and Reggie are beautiful animals. They are very talkative cats and greet their keepers with a distinctive and friendly tiger chuff. ”
David walker
Even the animals at Orana Wildlife Park enjoy getting a Christmas surprise, and the Sumatran tiger, Sendiri, is no different. The attendants wrapped some goodies for him and left him loose to open their presents before the big day. [File video]
The couple seemed to have settled down well in their new home, he said.
“We have also seen them hug and groom each other … positive signs that they are relaxed.”
Reggie and Scout are the only tigers available on the South Island after the park euthanized the 16-year-old Sumatran tiger Dumai, who suffered from chronic kidney failure, in February.
AUSTRALIAN ZOO / SUPPLIED
The 4-year-old big cats were transferred from the Australia Zoo and arrived in Christchurch on December 11. In the photo, Scout.
He was transferred to Orana with his brother, Sendiri, from Sydney in 2006 to the park’s new tiger facility. Sendiri was euthanized last year, at age 15, due to intractable leukemia.
Mason said the tiger facility, opened in 2006, had undergone several improvements in preparation for the couple, including building new platforms, climbing structures and updating the water features.
Sumatran tigers number less than 400 in the wild and are listed as critically endangered, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
AUSTRALIAN ZOO / SUPPLIED
The couple underwent a week-long quarantine period to ensure they did not represent a biosecurity problem. Photo Reggie.
They are threatened due to habitat loss as a result of the expansion of oil palm plantations, illegal trade, and loss of prey.
Orana Wildlife Park is a partner in the Australasia Zoo Aquarium Association’s breeding program for critically endangered species.
“Reggie and Scout will be amazing ambassadors for their wild cousins,” Mason said.
“They will help Orana raise funds for the Wild Cats Conservation Alliance, directly contributing to the conservation of wild tigers, while highlighting the plight of wild tigers and how visitors can help tackle palm oil deforestation to preserve these magnificent big cats. “
