Philadelphia Zoo's Endangered Amur Tigers are Celebrating Their Third Birthday

By Kirsten Baritz

Philadelphia, PA - The Zoo’s endangered Amur tigers are celebrating their third birthday! In honor of their special day, the Philadelphia Zoo’s three female Amur tigers, Terney, Changbai and Koosaka, will receive birthday eats and treats from their keepers. The tigers will enjoy specially-made presents and a birthday cake.

This will be the last birthday celebration at the Philadelphia Zoo for Terney and Koosaka who will be leaving in a few months for their new home at ZooMontana. The move has been recommended by the Association of Zoo’s and Aquarium’s Tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP) that works to ensure the survival of Amur tigers by managing a healthy and robust zoo population. Changbai will remain in Philadelphia with mom, Kira.

There are only an estimated 400 Amur tigers left in the wild. In addition to participating in the Tiger SSP, the Philadelphia Zoo works to save Amur tigers in the wild through support of the Save the Tiger Fund and the Tigris Foundation, both of which are battling threats to Amur tigers in their native habitat in eastern Russia and northern China.

About The Philadelphia Zoo:

America's first zoo and one of the region's foremost conservation organizations, the Philadelphia Zoo is home to nearly 1,300 animals, many rare and endangered. The Zoo, fulfilling its mission of conservation, science, education and recreation, supports and engages in conservation efforts to protect endangered species around the world. The Philadelphia region’s leading family destination, the Zoo welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors last year. The Philadelphia Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For more information on the Philadelphia Zoo, as well as to purchase and print tickets online, visit us at www.philadelphiazoo.org. The Philadelphia Zoo is a non-smoking facility.

To view Philadelphia Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-17-Philadelphia_Zoo