|
Support Animal Care - Adopt or Sponsor a Tiger.
Your donation will help with the cost of food, shelter, enrichment and veterinary care. Each of the big cats will eat ~20 pounds of meat per day. You can be an Wildlife Hero through your contribution. |
BENGAL TIGER
|
In November of 2010, Cat Tales traveled through snow storms and heavy rains for 850 miles to rescue three exotic big cat cubs from their temporary place at a shelter in Oregon. These were seven month old lioness Nala and six month old Bengal tiger brothers, Tigger and Zorro. The trip was tough, but seeing them arrive at Cat Tales healthy and hopeful was worth every second. We trained them to get used to collar training, and their close work with our trainers as cubs has led them to interact with them even now as adults. Though their personalities developed well together, the brothers have blossomed beautifully after being separated once they reached maturity. Tigger's rambunctious, 'gotta do it all' attitude came from wanting to be busy and have fun while young. And Zorro, always the calm one, has continued to mature into a peaceful and quiet adult. Their favourite time remains feeding time, though flirting with Amura when in the enclosure adjacent to her is probably a very close second. |
|
In 1951, the Maharaja of Rewa discovered the last known white tiger in the wild. Out of fear it would be killed, he captured it and named it Mohan, sending the beautiful creature to the National Zoo in Washington DC in 1955 as a donation. Since thing various groups and breeders have created lineages from Mohan's bloodline and genetics. But many allow aggressive inbreeding that causes health issues and lowered quality of life.
Not so for the breeders who saw the birth of Zeus in May of 2001, and Apollo in June. The staff of Cat Tales adopted these royal white bengal brothers, descendants of Mohan, who have and will continue to play an important role in keeping the genetics of white tigers healthy and strong. As two of less than five hundred known white tigers, and none in the wild, Apollo and Zeus take on an important role in education and outreach to both guests and the zoological community. White Tigers - More Information
|
|
Nalin arrived at Cat Tales on March 21, 2017. He is 8 years old with his birthday on August 1, 2008.
Prior to being part of our family he was one of the stars of Tiger Island in California. As he got a little older (as often happens) he wanted a quieter life away from the commotion of a theme park. We are so grateful to have him here in Spokane. We are all just getting to know each other and looking forward to our new life together. |
BENGAL TIGER
The royal Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies found in India and Bangladesh. They have an average size of 1.5 - 1.8 m (5 - 6 ft) from head through body, and tail lengths averaging between 0.6 - 0.9 m (2 - 3 ft). They can weigh anywhere from 109 to 227 kg (240 to 500 lbs), though some Bengal tigers have set scientific records by weighing six to eight hundred pounds. Their pelts vary from yellow to orange, creating some golden tones that are offset by the black or brown markings each tiger has. Their belly and the interior parts of their limbs are white, with some other white markings across their coat. Some Bengal tigers carry a recessive gene that turns their fur a near pure, snowy white. While rare, white tigers are not, as some believe, albino tigers.
Tigers prefer to hunt solitary, and are capable of taking down enormous prey such as gaur (Indian bison), sambar, and water buffalo. When hunting, a tiger will approach the prey from the side, preferring to attempt to slip into possible blind spots before they leap out of cover or rush forward. Before most prey can react, a tiger will pin it to the ground. Then it will ensure a sudden and swift death, most often by biting just behind the skull or upon the neck and snapping the spinal cord of its prey in two. With bigger prey, this bite will tear through arteries if unable to break the spine. Afterwards most tigers will drag its prey away into a dark hidden area where it can eat in peace. With an average of killing once out of eight to nine days in the wild, a tiger's prey must be capable of supplying forty pounds of meat in one sitting.
If you would like to adopt one of our Bengal tigers, the cost is currently $100.00 US dollars monthly. This money takes care of any veterinary check ups, habitat enrichment and feeding - all the things a happy tiger needs.
Tigers prefer to hunt solitary, and are capable of taking down enormous prey such as gaur (Indian bison), sambar, and water buffalo. When hunting, a tiger will approach the prey from the side, preferring to attempt to slip into possible blind spots before they leap out of cover or rush forward. Before most prey can react, a tiger will pin it to the ground. Then it will ensure a sudden and swift death, most often by biting just behind the skull or upon the neck and snapping the spinal cord of its prey in two. With bigger prey, this bite will tear through arteries if unable to break the spine. Afterwards most tigers will drag its prey away into a dark hidden area where it can eat in peace. With an average of killing once out of eight to nine days in the wild, a tiger's prey must be capable of supplying forty pounds of meat in one sitting.
If you would like to adopt one of our Bengal tigers, the cost is currently $100.00 US dollars monthly. This money takes care of any veterinary check ups, habitat enrichment and feeding - all the things a happy tiger needs.