Busch Gardens Tampa Welcomes Extremely Rare Cat
Busch Gardens just announced the arrival of a critically endangered Sumatran tiger on Tuesday. The tiger, named Bandar, will help to raise awareness about the plight of this extremely rare cat. Sumatran tigers are on the brink of extinction, with only an estimated 400 left in the wild.
Bandar’s new home will be a state of the art exhibit that emulates their natural habitat. Park guests will have the opportunity to get up close to the 9 year old tiger. He was transferred from a zoo in Washington and Busch Gardens now has a partnership with the Sumatran Tiger Conservation Program.
Jenny Mendoza, who serves as Vice President Zoological for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay said “We are very thrilled to provide him with a home for him to thrive, share his story with our guests, and have our zoological facilities serve as a building block for the prosperous future of all tigers.”
The Sumatran tiger is known for their distinctive beard and mane, which is more visible in males. They are native to Indonesia and are mostly active at night. Their diet consists mainly of deer, wild pigs, and other small mammals. Habitat loss and poaching are the main threats to their survival. Bandar will be the first of it’s kind to join the more than 200 animal species at the park. READ MORE