THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 22, 1996 TAG: 9608220411
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
DATELINE: ROANOKE LENGTH: 45 lines
The Mill Mountain Zoo is trying to raise at least $500,000 to build what would be one of the country's largest breeding habitats for endangered Siberian tigers.
The zoo launched its ``Ruby's Tiger Rescue'' project on Tuesday - named for the zoo's mixed breed tiger, Ruby. The program is intended to prevent the endangered Siberian tiger from becoming extinct by increasing its numbers through breeding.
Fewer than 200 Siberian tigers are living in the wild. Funds raised by the zoo will expand its existing tiger habitat and add a research and educational center.
``What we're looking to do is bring in up to four breeding pairs of tigers,'' said Beth Poff, zoo director. ``That way, we can contribute to the captive environment of the tigers . . . make sure we always have Siberian tigers for people to see, enjoy, maybe someday put back in the wild.''
Poff said she hopes the expansion can be completed by fall of 1997.
The breeding project would be the second phase of the zoo's tiger program. The first focused on building a home for Ruby, a mostly Siberian tiger that may be mixed with Bengal.
The Roanoke zoo has applied to become part of a worldwide conservation effort - called ``Species Survival Plan'' - to prevent the five remaining subspecies of tigers, all endangered, from becoming extinct. The subspecies are Siberian, Sumatran, Indochinese, Bengal and South China.
In the United States and Canada, 93 zoos are participating in the conservation effort, and 56 of them have Siberian tigers.
The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, which on Wednesday celebrated the birthday of its 4-year-old Siberian tiger twins, does not now participate in the program directly.
Because the 300-pound cats were confiscated from black-market pet traders as cubs, Norfolk zoo officials said, they cannot be entirely sure of the tigers' backgrounds and therefore can't breed them for the program.
However, zoo officials said they do plan to participate by offering their twins, Shere and Shaka Kahn, as surrogate mothers. MEMO: This story was compiled from reports by staff writer Nancy Lewis
and the Associated Press. by CNB