Tigers’ future should not be left to chance
Tuesday 9 February 2010
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo's tigers mark Chinese Year of the Tiger with a stark message
© ZSL - Christine Drabwell
The Siberian tigers at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo had their usual playthings replaced with giant dice by keepers, in a bid to remind people that their survival in the wild must not be left to chance.
The Zoo tigers, Mickail and Anastasia, love something new to investigate, but the painted dice send out an important message that we need to act now to load the dice to prevent their extinction.
The Chinese Year of the Tiger begins on February 14th 2010. In the 12 years since the last Year of the Tiger the global population has halved – leaving less than 3,200 in the wild.
ZSL undertakes tiger conservation work around the world, and is part of the 21st Century Tiger partnership supporting further tiger conservation projects.
ZSL conservation programme manager Sarah Christie says: “This enrichment is a bit of fun for our zoo tigers, but there is a serious message that we must improve the chance of tigers’ long-term survival.”
This half term
Visitors to the zoo can see more of the tigers and other animals and activities to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity by joining in Creature Features with talks, crafts and close-up show and tell experiences throughout the half term week.
Find out more about Creature Features
