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Longleat tiger territory goes wet 'n' wild
29 July 2008
Keepers at Longleat Safari Park are delighted to confirm that at long last, their trio of Amur tigers have turned their attention to their new outdoor pool!
The new pool, which was completed back in June, has sadly not really inspired the tigers to any serious water play to date. Turn on the hot weather though and it's a completely different story.
"Tigers are great water lovers," explained head warden Keith Harris. "And, it's been part of our plans since they arrived last year to put in a new pool for them to generally mess around in. We've been pretty disappointed up to now however to find that they've pretty much ignored it!
"This recent hot weather seems to have really changed their attitude however and they are now having a ball diving in and generally getting as wet as possible."
"Of the three Soundari is definitely the most confident and she's usually the first to take the plunge. We've been throwing the odd bit of meat into the pool though and all three are now leaping in and out having a whale of a time" he added.
The Amur Tiger is the largest of all the big cats and is named after a river which flows through their native territory in the far east of Russia.
In the 1940s they had nearly died out, with only around 40 tigers left in the wild. Although they are still listed as critically endangered, wildlife experts believe the current population of around 500 individuals is the highest for a century.
Fully grown females can weigh up to 160kg (350lb) and measure more than two metres in length.
ENDS
Issued by Longleat. For more information and to arrange interviews and picture/filming opportunities please call Steve Mytton on 01985 845400.
