LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Zoo is welcoming a new big cat in town.
On Tuesday, the zoo announced a new male Amur tiger, named Timmy, has joined female Sasha on regular habitat rotation at Tiger Taiga near Snow Leopard Pass.
Zookeepers are still getting to know 6-year-old Timmy but have already noticed he is "very interactive" with his enrichment activities and with them in general. He also seems to have an affinity for goat's milk and a calm demeanor, officials said.
Timmy arrived to the zoo from the Potter Park Zoo in Michigan in late Autumn.
Check out these photos of Timmy below!
Photos of Louisville Zoo's new Amur tiger, Timmy
The zoo's other male Amur tiger, Vikenti, was transferred to the Michigan zoo after years of not being able to produce any offspring with Sasha.
"Amur tigers are endangered and are rare both in the wild and in the managed population of zoos," the Zoo said. "Their future in the vanishing wild is uncertain."
Timmy arrives to Louisville with a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Amur Tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP). The recommendation, which Timmy and Sasha have both received, is designed to maintain the genetic diversity of managed animal populations in human care and help sustain healthy populations, officials said.
Amur tigers are listed as endangered on the International Union of Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species list. Officials estimate there are only 350-400 Amur tigers left in the wild.
You can visit Sasha and Timmy at the Louisville Zoo anytime during the zoo's winter hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The zoo will be closed on Christmas ad New Year's Day.
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