Tigers and brilliant Islands, Oh My!

February 4th, 2012 |

The Isle of Wight is renowned as a holiday resort, and as an island, but when most people think of the isle of Wight, they don’t think of tigers. With the Isle of Wight Zoo boasting the largest variety of tigers in the Uk, and one of the largest collections in Europe though, they probably should.

The zoo was previously focussed on the breeding of tigers, but this is no longer the case, and now the Isle of Wight Zoo is one of the best conservation centres for tigers and other big cats in the world.

Resort

Circuses, bankrupt zoos or hidden collectors sometimes find themselves unable to look after big cats in their rights anymore, or they may find that they are relieved of the animals when they are found to have not been seeing after the animal’s welfare.

In circumstances like these, the animals, if they are big cats, may well end up at the Isle of Wight Zoo, and it is exactly why the zoo now has fourteen tigers, three lions and two jaguars. For these, it provides a long-term home, and they are encouraged to engage in natural behaviours that promote their fitness and wellness.

Due to the various backgrounds of the tigers, there is a heavy emphasis placed on developing distinct routines for the personel cats. What works for one may not work for another, or may even be detrimental to it. This has led to an environment of constant innovation, and is one of the reasons that the Isle of Wight Zoo is one of the leaders in big cat conservation.

The zoo is currently in the process of developing yet more enclosures for the big cats, each of them replicating an area of one of the national parks that the animals’ wild counterparts still inhabit. These are designed to provide mental and bodily practice for them, and the enrichment programs mean that they’ve never figured all things out.

In the interests of the gene pool, these animals are not going to be bred, but the zoo still maintains breeding programs for some of its other inhabitants.

Tigers and brilliant Islands, Oh My!