ATLANTA — Zoo Atlanta welcomed a new one-year-old tiger this week.
The tiger, Bob is just a year old and arrived on Wednesday, from the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden.
The zoo said the move was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan.
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“Bob is a very exciting and important addition to the animal population at Zoo Atlanta,” said Sam Rivera, DVM, Vice President of Animal Health. “Every species here at the Zoo has a story to tell in terms of its biology and behavior, intrinsic value, role in its ecosystem, and the power of our everyday actions to impact the future of our planet’s wildlife. Few species give us a better opportunity to tell that story than the Sumatran tiger.”
Zoo Atlanta already has a female tiger, named Chelsea, who is 20 years old. The Zoo said this age is considered “geriatric” for a tiger.
Chelsea and Bob won’t be paired due to her advanced age.
The zoo said it hopes Bob will be paired with a younger female tiger in the future for breeding purposes.
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In general, Sumatran Tiger species prefer solitude, except for breeding time.
There are believed to be less than 400 Sumatran tigers in the wild on the Indonesian Island of Sumatra.
The zoo said the species faces “serious pressures from habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, particularly as a result of deforestation for palm oil plantations, and illegal poaching for their skins and bones.”
Bob will complete a routine quarantine period of around a month before being visible to Members and guests in the Zoo’s John P. Imlay Tiger Habitat.
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