Korean Tigers Listed on Int’l Breed Registry

Korean Tigers Listed on Int’l Breed Registry

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

Three tiger cubs born in June last year have been listed on the international tiger breed registry or stud book alongside 49 others.

Seoul Zoo said Monday that the total of 52 were recently recorded as Siberian on the registry managed by Leipzig Zoo in Germany, saying the legitimacy of their lineage had been recognized.

Currently, there are 24 tigers at the zoo including the three cubs ? a male named “Dokdo” and females “Yeongto” and “Jikim.” The other 28 have at one time or another been housed in the nation’s zoos over the years, including “Hodori” and “Hosuni,” which became symbols of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.

The three cubs were born to a mother named “Cheongju” and a father called “Koa.” Cheongju is Hodori’s granddaughter, and Koa’s father is “Rail,” which was adopted from the Korea Central Zoo in the North Korean capital of Pyeongyang in 1995 and died in 2004 at Seoul Zoo.

In addition to their registration, the tigers will have designated numbers and mating with tigers of the same breed in other countries will be possible.

“Animals not listed on an international studbook are not allowed to be moved to other nations. If tigers in different zoos are not exchanged, breeding by incest is likely, which raises the chances of deformity, hereditary diseases and a decreased life span. The registration will help us better preserve the species,” a zoo official said.

The zoo has inserted electronic chips under the skin of the tigers so they can be distinguished and incestuous breeding prevented. It has drawn up its own studbook since 2005.

Some 133 animals from 13 species at the zoo were recently listed with the Zoological Society of London, the official said. Among them were stork, lesser pandas, cotton top tamarins, monkeys and snow leopards.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/06/117_46061.html

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