Pumpkin Bobbing for Tigers

To everyone else, it looks like a traditional Halloween game. But when adding items such as ropes, poles, or in this instance a carved pumpkin, into the Sumatran Tiger Reserve at West Midland Safari Park is an essential and important part of the Park’s enrichment programme.

Though for a while, 8 year old tiger Hujan wasn’t sure if she was facing off against friend or foe in the tiger pool at first, it wasn’t long before she coaxed the bobbing pumpkin closer to dry land and made a grab for it. With the terrified looking article gripped tightly in her jaws, she proudly carried it off into a quiet spot to find out exactly what she had fished out of the pool.

With her name Hujan meaning rain in one of the dialects spoken in her native Indonesia, she has never timid of water and was even named after the torrential storms that were raging on the day of her birth.

There are two Sumatran Tigers at the West Midland Safari Park, and the long term plan for both of them is to breed to help secure the future of this seriously rare species, where the thought is, there are no more than 350 left in the wild today. This presents a real possibility of them facing extinction by the end of the decade.

Director of Wildlife, Bob Lawrence said, “The carnivore keepers at West Midland Safari Park are always looking at innovative ways to enrich the lives of their big cats by stimulating natural behaviours without risking any of their nine lives. Eight years ago, wild tigers still had all their nine lives – today the Sumatran tiger is one of the only five tiger species left. Whilst tigers are synonymous with water, don’t be fooled, they really do mean business.”

Hujan and her mate Emas can be seen throughout half term in the Sumatran Tiger Reserve, which is included in the standard admission charge of £17.99 for adults, £12.99 for children and includes a free return ticket. Theme Park rides are charged extra in all cases. Further information is available from the Park's official website www.wmsp.co.uk or by telephone 01299 402114.

West Midland Safari Park is open daily until Friday, 7th November 2014.