An Amur tiger, one of the rarest and most endangered animals on the planet, is enjoying his new surroundings at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.
Botzman, who at just eighteen-months old already weights in at a hefty 158kg (25 stone), traveled almost 2,000 miles from Moscow just before Christmas and settled in nicely behind the scenes before making his public debut last week.
Senior keeper Siobhan Sellwood-Brown said: "Botzman is settling in really well. He's extremely lively and very inquisitive - it's fantastic to see him enjoying his new surroundings. He's a beautiful boy; visitors are fascinated by him."
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo are gradually introducing Botzman to the zoo's female Amur tiger, Anastasia before they meet each other properly later this month. It is hoped the zoo will be successful in breeding the species in the future.
ZSL has been involved in Amur tiger conservation since 1995 and has been running its own project in Lazovsky State Nature Reserve since 2006. They have focused on population monitoring, anti-poaching efforts, and increasing education and awareness.
There are only an estimated 300 to 400 Amur tigers left living in the wild.
< Back to the newsZSL Whipsnade Zoo is the rural branch of London Zoo and was one of the first to minimise the use of cages. At 600 acres, Whipsnade is Europe's largest conser...
View attraction
