Mama tiger makes short work of fake camel while cubs sit on the sidelines
July 27, 2012 - 2:19 PM
CALGARY - The Calgary Zoo's three new cubs were more scaredy cat than Siberian tigers when confronted by a fake camel constructed of twigs, branches and camel hair.
The cubs, which are now about four months old, initially had plenty of spunk and spent about an hour wrestling this morning until the camel, constructed by Zoo Camp kids at a summer camp was brought in this morning.
They stayed well back from the intruder, preferring to let their mother Katja make the first move.
Katja approached the faux camel, sniffed it and then flattened it with a well-placed swipe.
Zoo spokesman Zack Anderson says new challenges are important for the cubs and aim to encourage natural behaviour.
The births of the trio in March were considered great news for the highly endangered species — there are only about 350 to 400 Siberian tigers in the world.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012