MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Zoo has two new additions to its family. Meet Dari and Gusti – Sumatran Tigers!
Zoo officials said Gusti is a 4-year-old male who is full of energy and loves playing in his yard. 7-year-old Dari is a female who zookeepers said is always ‘chuffing’ at them when they pass by. (Chuffing is a vocalization by big cats that is seen as friendly.) The zoo said the two tigers are very vocal, and you can often here them calling to each other.
But they haven’t met yet. Zookeepers said they will be slowly introduced to each other when they are ready. If that goes well, they’ll be on exhibit together in the future.
Zoo officials said Sumatran Tigers are critically endangered, with less than 250 in the wild and about 500 total left in the world. They said the hope is that these two will help increase the population through a breeding program. The zoo said Species Survival Plan is a “formally and scientifically managed program to create an optimally sustainable population across facilities.”
“Sumatran tigers are one of the rare species that are managed globally in zoos and related facilities,” the zoo said in a release. “The SSP in North America partners with similar formally managed programs in Europe and Australasia to further optimize the diversity of the population. Memphis Zoo is honored to be a part of the conservation effort to save Sumatran Tigers from extinction.”
