Zoo to Celebrate Tiger Cubs First Birthday
05/04/2012 -
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park will celebrate the tiger cubs’ first birthday, on Sunday, May 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The triplets, Yuri, Kuza and Misha, were born on May 7, 2011 to parents Tatiana and Toma. The celebration is included in the price of admission.
“The tiger cubs have become some of our most popular animals,” said Ted Fox, director of the zoo. “We encourage everyone to come out and wish them a happy birthday.”
The schedule of activities is as follows:
10:30 a.m. Birthday-themed enrichment
11:00 a.m. Puppet show
11:30 a.m. Tiger keeper talk
12:00 p.m. Puppet show
1:00 p.m. “Happy Birthday” sing-a-long
Visitors are invited to make a tiger puppet, learn about tigers at various animal artifact stations, sign a card to commemorate the celebration, play Zoopardy and enjoy a tiger-themed snack from the Jungle Café.
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, a population management and conservation program that began in 1981. Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are a critically endangered species. It is estimated that there are between 300 and 400 Amur tigers remaining in the wild, found in isolated forests across eastern Asia, in parts of Siberia and China. The species suffers from habitat loss and poaching.