Work is getting underway this month to turn the current 2,900 square-foot home of the zoo’s three Amur tigers into a 26,000 square-foot mixed vegetation habitat complete with a pool and plenty of shady spots for some serious tiger relaxation time.
And it’s not just about relaxation — Assiniboine Park Zoo COO Don Peterkin told Metro the extra space means we can likely expect to hear the pitter-patter of little paws soon.
“This is going to allow us to take our breeding program for the Amur tigers… into high-gear,” he said, explaining the zoo currently has one male and one breeding female, which need to be kept apart because the male is a little too interested in the couple’s female cub at the moment. “We have to maintain the genetics.”
Phase one of the $1 million project will see the tigers space expanded, while two other enclosures, including a new space for lions, will be built in the second and third phases in the area around the existing tiger den.
The cost of phase one, expected to be complete by this fall, is being covered by a $500,000 donation from James Cohen and Linda McGarva-Cohen.
The donation brings the Assiniboine Park Conservancy’s fundraising efforts to $116 million of their $200 million goal.
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