Cyber the tiger arrives at Vilas Zoo

Cyber the tiger arrives at Vilas Zoo

The Capital Times — 1/02/2009 4:47 pm

The Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison has added an Amur tiger, also known as a Siberian tiger, to its collection.

Cyber, a 9-year-old, 450-pound male, can usually be seen in his outdoor exhibit from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Though the tiger arrived several weeks ago, larger animals routinely spend time in quarantine and/or acclimation in the zoo before they ready for an exhibit.

Big cats especially need to adjust to new surroundings, Hubing said.

“They have to be comfortable moving from their dens, which are actually far back and sort of underground and all the way out to the exhibit space,” Hubing said.

“Cyber is adjusting well to his new exhibit; he loves fresh snow and watching visitors.”

The most endangered and largest of all big cats, Amur tigers number an estimated 300 in the wild, with 150 exhibited in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Vilas Zoo partners with the AZA’s Amur Tiger Species Survival Plan to sustain a captive population of the tigers and educate zoo-goers about ongoing conservation initiatives.

“This is a great example of AZA Accredited Zoos working together to help save a species from extinction,” Hubing said.

Cyber came to Madison from the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, S.D., and was born at the Minnesota Zoo, according to a news release from Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.

The executive’s office gave special thanks to Pepsi-Cola of Madison to donating the funds to bring the tiger to Vilas Zoo.

“We are lucky to have this beautiful tiger, for the enjoyment and education of our visitors, and to help save this precious species,” Falk said.

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/430517

http://bigcatrescue.org