At the Toronto Zoo in winter, Sumatran tiger keepers hide pieces of meat in the snow around the enclosure to help entertain the tigers. This type of management is called “enrichment” and is very important for taking care of all kinds of animals in zoos. Though a zoo tiger doesn’t have to worry too much about food, shelter, competition from invading males etc., there needs to be something for it to do or it will get bored. The better zoos out there invest in different forms of enrichment, which can include toys, games, food rewards, different scents for them to discover, or sometimes human interaction.

This subadult has located on of the hidden pieces of food and seems to delight in giving me a glance that seems to say “Neener neener, I got food and you don’t!”! =P

For those interested in helping animals at your local zoo or animal sanctuary, ask them what kind of enrichment they offer and what kinds of things you could bring on your next visit that might help give animals better lives while in captivity. You are also free to send me a note and I will let you know what I do.

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Tigers are the largest of the big cats and are exclusively found in Asia from India to Vietnam, from Indonesia to the Russian Far East. The tiger can be divided into 9 subspecies: 4 are currently critically endangered and 3 are already extinct. Though estimations of tiger populations only a few years ago was 5,500-6,000, today populations are likely closer to 3,500 and are still declining. Dramatic declines of the tiger in India, thought to host the majority of the world’s tigers, have fallen to less than 1,411. Overall, the past decade has seen a 40% reduction in tiger habitat, which now represents a mere 7% of its historic range. Poaching is a significant problem throughout the tiger’s range, the demand for its body parts in traditional medicines, tonics, and exotic dishes driving a lucrative trade that is wiping out entire populations. Long-term threats include habitat fragmentation and prey depletion, which is accelerating the tiger’s demise and subsequently reducing the long-term genetic viability of many populations.

If you want to help, the best for you to do is to educate yourself (http://www.savethetigerfund.org), never buy products made from tigers or endangered species (http://www.wildaid.org), and tell others. Contact me for more information.