New Tiger at the Philadelphia Zoo!
It’s always an exciting day when the Philadelphia Zoo adds a new resident. This week, zookeepers are proudly showing off the zoo’s latest acquisition: a stunning 8-year-old Amur tiger named Grom. As of Friday, Grom was taking a survey of his new terrain at the zoo’s Big Cat Falls, pacing around and feeling everything out.
The Philadelphia Zoo posted this image on social media welcoming Grom the Amur tiger.
Grom was born at the Pittsburgh Zoo, then spent most of his life in Denver, Colorado. He arrived at Philadelphia a few weeks ago, and Friday marked his public debut in front of visitors. Thoeun Lorn, a zoo visitor from South Philadelphia, told 6abc that Grom looked “curious” about his surroundings.
The tiger weighs 300 pounds and features what a young visitor described to the news network as “pointy teeth.” Amur tigers are distinct from others in that their fur is the palest among all tigers and also the longest. Amurs have wide paws that are meant to walk easily on the snow. As implied by that part, Amurs are used to living in cold weather.
Jennifer Robertson, a big cat keeper with the Philadelphia Zoo, told 6abc that Amur tigers are growing increasingly rare in the wild. They are endangered thanks to a combination of poaching and illegal deforestation, she says. She says that there are only 540 left in the wild, making them “really rare.” Grom’s arrival at the Philadelphia Zoo was a coordinated part of a Series Survival Plan with the hopes that he would breed and contribute to the dwindling numbers of Amur tigers out there.
Although it is something that would be down the road, zookeepers are hoping to eventually breed Grom with one of the two female tigers that they already have in captivity. Andy Baker, Philadelphia Zoo COO, pointed out that breeding tigers in a diminished population is all about “maintain[ing] genetic and demographic diversity and stability over the long term.” Tigers at zoos across the country are tracked and their genetics are monitored to determine which ones would be the best specimens for breeding. As it turns out, Grom would be a great match for either of the zoo’s two females.
Tigers like Grom are solitary in the wild and only come together to breed. That’s why the zoo keeps mesh between the habitats of each tiger until they have established how the big cats will get along. There are currently five tigers at the Philadelphia Zoo, but the zoo has said that it could possibly make room for more.
