Two Amur Big Cats, Leopards and Tigers, Celebrating Birthdays at Oregon Zoo

By Bill LaMarche

Portland, OR - On Oct. 29 and Oct. 30 at 10:30 a.m., zoo visitors can attend the birthday festivities of the zoo's twin Amur tigers, Mikhail and Nicole, who were born on Halloween in 1998. Amur leopard Kia, who was born Oct. 14, will also celebrate her belated birthday.

On both days, the tigers and leopard will receive Halloween-themed birthday treats: carved pumpkins filled with meat snacks. According to keeper Philip Fensterer, the Amur cats will probably "roll the pumpkins around, chew on them, thwack them and attempt to stick their heads in them." Eventually, the cats get around to eating the meat inside the pumpkins.

"We're celebrating the cats' birthdays twice, so more zoo visitors can watch Mikhail, Nicole and Kia enjoy their pumpkins," said Event Coordinator Krista Swan. "It's also two times the fun for the cats. And we'll be celebrating the tigers' birthday all weekend, with cards for everyone to sign."

Enrichment items such as the pumpkins help keep the zoo's animals mentally and physically stimulated.

"Enrichment is critical to the health and well-being of the animals," said Mike Keele, acting zoo director. "It's often done behind the scenes, but holidays like Halloween provide visitors with some unique opportunities to watch our animals interact with their treats."

The Amur cats' birthday festivities are a prelude to the zoo's Howloween celebration, presented by Sterling Savings Bank, on Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1. Events include a fun scavenger hunt that directs trick-or-treaters to easily accessible activity stations throughout the zoo. Goodie bags filled with candy and prizes await scavenger-hunters at the zoo's exit.

Throughout the weekend, visitors can watch the zoo's enrichment team provide animals with pumpkins and other holiday-themed treats. "After all," Swan noted, "the tigers and leopards can't have all the fun." The enrichment schedule will be as follows:

Saturday, Oct. 31:
11:30 a.m. - Chimpanzees
12:30 p.m. - African wild dogs
1:30 p.m. - Asian elephants
2:30 p.m. - Black bear
3:30 p.m. - Polar bears

Sunday, Nov. 1:
11:30 a.m. - Sea otters
12:30 p.m. - African wild dogs
1:30 p.m. - Orangutans
2:30 p.m. - Black bear
3:30 p.m. - Asian elephants

Amur tigers Mikhail and Nicole moved to the zoo on Sept. 12, 2000, from the John Ball Zoological Garden in Grand Rapids, Mich. Kia is a more recent arrival; though she is turning 13 years old, this is only her third birthday at the zoo. She came to Oregon from Pennsylvania's Erie Zoo.

Amur tigers and leopards derive their names from the Amur River, which runs through the region of southeast Russia to which these sub-species are native. Amur tigers and Amur leopards are among the most endangered big cats in the world: It is estimated that 400 to 500 Amur tigers remain in the wild, while the wild population of Amur leopards has shrunk to fewer than 40 individuals.

To see today's video of Mikhail and Nicole's birthday preview, visit www.oregonzoo.org/VideoArchive/TigerAndLeopardBirthdays.htm.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington's pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid's lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors who travel to the zoo via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $10.50 (ages 12-64), $9 for seniors (65 and up), $7.50 for children (ages 3-11) and free for those 2 and younger; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.

Caption: The zoo's Amur leopard and Amur tigers are celebrating their birthdays with Halloween-themed enrichment treats on Oct. 30. Photo by Julie Cudahy, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

Oregon Zoo " 4001 SW Canyon Rd. " Portland, Oregon 97221 " 503-226-1561 www.oregonzoo.org  

To view Oregon Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-382-Oregon_Zoo