ianmichaelthomas
Looking Intently
**** Please check my photo stream for my other tiger photos from this zoo visit! *****
Binjai is a magnificent 5 yo female Sumatran Tiger, fully grown, weighing 85 Kg (190lb), and the mother of three growing cubs, now nearly 10 months old at this time (19 Aug 2007).
Sumatran Tigers are the rarest of all surviving tiger subspecies, and also the smallest.
This is in keeping with their island home of dense rain-forest - all animals are smaller in size here, including the VERY rare Sumatran rhino, and its regular prey species - varieties of deer.
The 3 Sumatran Tiger cubs, are called “Isha” (one who protects) for the female and 'Nakal' (naughty or cheeky) for one of the males, and the other male, 'Satu' (meaning number one).
Melbourne Zoo have a wonderful enclosure for the tigers - it is styled very much as Sumatran rain-forest, with lots of trees, and even a pond to swim and play in.
Melb Zoo staff are taking part in a proper preservation program for Sumatran wildlife - not just joining an international captive breeding program (although they do, and that is vital given the parlous state of Sumatran tigers in the wild) - they actively buy back land in Sumatra with the intent to rehabilitate the land as a wildlife preserve, to give animals such as the tiger and the Sumatran Orangutan a chance to flourish again.
Melbourne Zoo, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Looking Intently
**** Please check my photo stream for my other tiger photos from this zoo visit! *****
Binjai is a magnificent 5 yo female Sumatran Tiger, fully grown, weighing 85 Kg (190lb), and the mother of three growing cubs, now nearly 10 months old at this time (19 Aug 2007).
Sumatran Tigers are the rarest of all surviving tiger subspecies, and also the smallest.
This is in keeping with their island home of dense rain-forest - all animals are smaller in size here, including the VERY rare Sumatran rhino, and its regular prey species - varieties of deer.
The 3 Sumatran Tiger cubs, are called “Isha” (one who protects) for the female and 'Nakal' (naughty or cheeky) for one of the males, and the other male, 'Satu' (meaning number one).
Melbourne Zoo have a wonderful enclosure for the tigers - it is styled very much as Sumatran rain-forest, with lots of trees, and even a pond to swim and play in.
Melb Zoo staff are taking part in a proper preservation program for Sumatran wildlife - not just joining an international captive breeding program (although they do, and that is vital given the parlous state of Sumatran tigers in the wild) - they actively buy back land in Sumatra with the intent to rehabilitate the land as a wildlife preserve, to give animals such as the tiger and the Sumatran Orangutan a chance to flourish again.
Melbourne Zoo, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.