ARGENTINA: Love may be in the air in Argentine zoo as Bengal tiger male gets two potential new mates
Record ID:
447753
ARGENTINA: Love may be in the air in Argentine zoo as Bengal tiger male gets two potential new mates
- Title: ARGENTINA: Love may be in the air in Argentine zoo as Bengal tiger male gets two potential new mates
- Date: 27th February 2014
- Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (FEBRUARY 27, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WHITE TIGER NAMED RHIANO AT THE BUENOS AIRES ZOO PEN HOLDING FEMALE BENGAL TIGERS, INDRA AND MAYA, BROUGHT TO MATE WITH THE MALE WHITE TIGER CHILDREN LOOKING AT THE TIGERS VARIOUS OF FEMALE TIGER, INDRA, IN HER PEN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEAD BIOLOGIST AT THE BUENOS AIRES ZOO, GIOVANNA DONINI, SAYING: "They've come to our zoo to mate with our male, Rhiano who is a male who was born at the Buenos Aires Zoo seven years ago. He is a white male. The females are orange, but they have white recessive traits in their genes so there is a high chance that there will be white tigers in the litter, or yellow tigers with the white recessive gene." VARIOUS OF INDRA CLIMBING A ROCK IN HER PEN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEAD BIOLOGIST AT THE BUENOS AIRES ZOO, GIOVANNA DONINI, SAYING: "There are usually three to five to a litter. Usually they have four or five cubs, but we will see when the time comes. The animals are relaxed and it looks opportune. We will see how they get along with their new mate." MALE WHITE TIGER EATING A PIECE OF MEAT
- Embargoed: 14th March 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Argentina
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA43ZVV6WXSUJNYSZX6S1PZCB3J
- Story Text: Two female Bengal tigers arrived at Buenos Aires Zoo on Thursday (February 27) where zookeepers hope they will mate with the zoo's rare male white tiger and produce a litter that will include white tiger cubs.
The lucky bachelor, a white Bengal named Rhiano, was born here seven years ago and zookeepers believe he is ready to mate.
With the arrival of the two tigresses, Indra and Maya, the zoo hopes to produce more tigers with the exotic coloration.
Though Indra and Maya both have normal colouration, they have the recessive gene that can cause a genetic condition that strips their fur of the orange pigment, leaving the animal with snow white fur, black stripes and blue eyes.
"They've come to our zoo to mate with our male, Rhiano who is a male who was born at the Buenos Aires Zoo seven years ago. He is a white male. The females are orange, but they have white recessive traits in their genes so there is a high chance that there will be white tigers in the litter, or yellow tigers with the white recessive gene," the zoo's lead biologist, Giovanna Donni said.
Donni said they are optimistic the females will prove to be a match made in tiger heaven and that the zoo will soon be crawling in adorable tiger cubs.
"There are usually three to five to a litter. Usually they have four or five cubs, but we will see when the time comes. The animals are relaxed and it looks opportune. We will see how they get along with their new mate," Donni said.
Meanwhile Rhiano was keeping up his stamina with a healthy slab of meat in the pen next door to his female suitors.
The tigresses tip the scales at about 140 kilograms (310 pounds) and eat between 4 and 5 kilos (9 and 11 pounds) of meat a day. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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