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Christmas treat for tigers at Highland Wildlife Park

One of the park's tigers eyes up a Christmas pudding
One of the park's tigers eyes up a Christmas pudding

Christmas has come early for the some of the north’s fiercest residents.

The Amur tigers at Highland Wildlife Park joined in with the festive fun when keepers placed giant papier-mache ball painted like Christmas puddings into their enclosure.

The tigers Marty and Dominika were released into their pen to pounce and play with the puddings dotted around the large enclosure.

The tiger-friendly treats were handmade and painted by the popular big cat’s keepers.

The tigers are one of the star attractions at the Kincraig park, which is owned and operated by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

 

The Christmas-themed treat was designed as part of an ongoing programme to enrich the tigers lives by providing ununsual and new challenges to keep them in perfect physical and mental condition.

Vickie Larkin, carnivore head keeper at Highland Wildlife Park, said: “The tigers loved getting their claws into their giant papier-maché puddings.

“We wanted to give them a special Christmas treat because they are very active and they absolutely enjoyed destroying their puddings, and rolling and chasing them around the enclosure.”

Amur tigers are the largest member of the cat family and are listed as endangered with just approximately 350-450 individuals left in the wild.

The population once dwindled to as low as 50 and they are still threatened due to habitat loss and poaching for their skins and other body parts for the traditional medicine trade.

The are native to mountainous areas in the far east of Russia.

The Highland Wildlife Park currently has the two adult Amur tigers with the female Dominika having been born at the park in May 2009.

She is paired with Marty who was born in July 2009 and arrived in th Highlands from the Czech Republic in April 2012.