SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Hogle Zoo is welcoming the newest member of its family—Sasha, a two-year-old Amur tiger from Rolling Hills Zoo in Kansas.
Guests are welcome to come to meet Sasha where she can be seen at her new exhibit in Asian Highlands on Thursday, December 2 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m, a press release says.
In an effort to help Sasha mimic her surroundings, Hogle Zoo has placed Sasha’s habitat right next to Nikolai, another Amur tiger. The tigers are considered to be solitary animals.
The zoo says Sasha may eventually be recommended to breed with Nikolai (an 11-year-old Amur tiger) when she matures. The Utah Hogle Zoo animal care teams will be working closely with organizations following a species survival program and breeding recommendations by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which promote healthy, genetically diverse populations in accredited zoos.
The population of Amur tigers is decreasing due to poaching and habitat loss by deforestation. With only 500 Amur tigers left in the wild, they are considered an endangered species, zoo officials say. In the wild, Amur tigers have a life expectancy of 10-15 years, but under specialized human care, Amur tigers can live up to approximately 20-years-old.
According to Associate Director of Animal Care, Bob Cisneros says, “[Sasha] is settling in her new habitat and continues to acclimate well.”