The Philadelphia zoo has four Amur Tigers including Kira the Mother pictured here and her cubs Changbai, Koosaka and Terney who were born at the zoo on May 24th, 2007. Kira sat by herself while two of the cubs roughhoused in the background.
The Amur Tiger is the largest of the world’s big cats. The tigers’ famous stripes help them camouflage themselves from their prey while hunting. No two tigers have the same stripe pattern. Amur tigers are better known as Siberian tigers, but their native range has shrunk so much due to habitat loss, they are now known for the Amur River. The species is listed as “critically endangered”.
I’d like the thank the staff and volunteers at the Philadelphia Zoo for the time each took with me explaining behaviors and characteristics of each of the animals. Everyone there was very pleasant and seemed to genuinely care about the animals they were caretakers of. It was uplifting to experience a zoo so well run. Like so many other zoos, they are hurting for funds and would appreciate your help. You can find out how you can help support the Philadelphia Zoo by visiting their web site at http://www2.philadelphiazoo.org.
I shot this back on 12-20-2008.
