- Title: Peruvian zoo hold contest to vote for favourite animals
- Date: 6th January 2017
- Summary: LIMA, PERU (JANUARY 6, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR FELINE ENCLOSURE AT HUACHIPA ZOO WHERE "GOLD CLAW" CONTEST TOOK PLACE, HONOURING THE PUBLIC'S FAVOURITE ANIMALS OF 2016 WHITE BENGAL TIGRESS CALLED CIVA SUMAC, WINNER OF THE CONTEST AND THE FIRST OF ITS KIND TO BE BORN IN CAPTIVITY IN PERU FACE OF WHITE TIGRESS CHILD LOOKING AT WHITE TIGRESS SWIMMING IN ENCLOSURE FELINE SWIMMING IN ENCLOSURE ZOO VISITORS TAKING PICTURES OF FELINE TIGRESS LOOKING UP VARIOUS OF CARETAKER OF CIVA SUMAC, CATEDRO MONTES, RECEIVING AWARD VARIOUS OF MONTES HOLDING UP AWARD CHILDREN AND PEOPLE CLAPPING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR AT HUACHIPA ZOO, PILAR MARTINEZ, SAYING: "We have just presented the award "Gold Claw," following a contest to choose the favourite animal during 2016. The prize has been given symbolically to the tigress Civa Sumac of the zoo of Huachipa and her caretaker, Catedro Montes. This was a credit to a selection that was made both physically and digitally. I must mention that this tigress is the first born in captivity in our country and since her birth, more than two and a half years ago, she has been seen by some three million visitors." VARIOUS OF MONTES CALLING OUT CIVA SUMAC'S NAME (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CARETAKER OF CIVA SUMAC, CATEDRO MONTES, SAYING: "Now she is like one of my daughters, I cherish her, I feed her, I see to everything, what she eats." SEA LION, WHO CAME IN SECOND PLACE, PLAYING WITH TRAINER ZOO VISITORS LOOKING ON SEA LION EXERCISING WITH TRAINER PEOPLE LOOKING ON PEOPLE LOOKING AT GIRAFFE, KNOWN AS RUBEN LION CALLED SIMBA, WHO CAME IN THIRD PLACE LEONARDA, SIMBA'S DAUGHTER PEOPLE IN ZOO VARIOUS OF PENGUIN ENCLOSURE
- Embargoed: 21st January 2017 21:10
- Keywords: Peru zoo beauty contest animals
- Location: LIMA, PERU
- City: LIMA, PERU
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Human Interest/Brights/Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0015XY0V9F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A Peruvian zoo celebrated the winner of its "most popular zoo animal contest," a treasured Bengal white tigress called Civa Sumac - one of the world's most endangered species.
Zookeepers said the contest - at the Huachipa zoo, in capital Lima - intended to draw attention to the plight of these animals who are fighting against extinction.
Sumac, who was the first white Bengal tigress born in captivity in Peru, was seen gracefully swimming in her enclosure.
The award ceremony was held on Friday (January 6) after hundreds of families voted for their favourite animal through the Zoo's official Facebook page.
Sumac's Caretaker, Catedro Montes, received the "Gold Claw" award on her behalf.
"We have just presented the award "Gold Claw," following a contest to choose the favourite animal during 2016. The prize has been given symbolically to the tigress Civa Sumac of the zoo of Huachipa and her caretaker, Catedro Montes. This was a credit to a selection that was made both physically and digitally. I must mention that this tigress is the first born in captivity in our country and since her birth, more than two and a half years ago, she has been seen by some three million visitors," said press chief at Huachipa Zoo, Pilar Martinez.
The two and a half- year-old tigress, who weighs 128 kgs (282 pounds), is the daughter of 'Yunga' and 'Clarita.'
"Now she is like one of my daughters, I cherish her, I feed her, I see to everything, what she eats," said Montes.
This sea lion came in second place.
Lion, Simba, came in third place.
White tigers are a genetic variation of the better-known orange Bengal tigers.
Thousands of tigers once roamed the forests in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. But their numbers have plummeted to just about 2,500 now, wildlife experts say, due to poaching and deforestation. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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