Chinese New Year's Year of the Tiger Will be Celebrated Feb 14 at Oregon Zoo

By Bill LaMarche

Portland, OR - A couple of the Oregon Zoo's most famous residents, Amur tigers Mikhail and Nicole, will be honored Feb. 14, as the Chinese New Year ushers in the Year of the Tiger. Visitors to the zoo this day can catch animal talks, receive prizes and watch Mik and Nic enjoy some celebratory treats and enrichment.

In addition to celebrating its tigers, the zoo will mark Chinese New Year by highlighting the highly endangered Malayan sun bear, whose range includes southern China. Animal talks will take place at the tiger exhibit at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. and at the sun bear exhibit at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. At 10 a.m., Mikhail and Nicole will be presented with some tasty hard-boiled eggs, dyed red for the holiday. At 11 a.m., the sun bears will also receive treats.

Zoo staff will be giving out celebratory red packets, a Chinese New Year tradition, to attending children while supplies last. The packets contain a treat and a message for good luck in the coming year. At a booth near the tiger exhibit, visitors can also learn about the origin of the 12 zodiac animals and the importance of tiger conservation.

"Chinese New Year helps us bring attention to Asian animals that are imperiled," said Krista Swan, zoo event coordinator. "We want visitors to have fun but also make a connection with tigers and other animals, so they leave the zoo wanting to make the world a better place for wildlife."

Amur tigers, also known as North China tigers, are the largest felines in the world. A male of the species can weigh more than 600 pounds. The tiger's fur is relatively long and thick to help it survive in the cold and rocky mountainous regions of Siberia, Manchuria and North Korea. These magnificent animals are endangered due to loss of habitat and poaching, their bones being prized for use in folk medicines. According to some estimates, fewer than 400 individuals are left in the wild.

Other Oregon Zoo animals represented in the traditional Chinese zodiac's 12-year cycle include rabbits, snakes, sheep, goats, monkeys, roosters and pigs.

Kids looking for a way to remember the event can take a piece of the New Year back home with them. The Zoo Store will be offering a tiger plush, normally $29.99, for $14.99 with any purchase.

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 and Taylor's checkerspot 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 are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 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 Oregon Zoo's Amur tigers will be honored Feb. 14, as the Chinese New Year ushers in the Year of the Tiger. Visitors to the zoo this day can catch animal talks, receive prizes and watch the tigers and sun bears enjoy some celebratory treats and enrichment. Photo by Michael Durham, 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