News Excerpt:
Two Siberian Tigers were brought from Cyprus to Darjeeling’s Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.
About the news:
- In exchange, the zoological park sent two Red Pandas to Cyprus’s Pafos Zoo.
- According to the authorities, there were currently no Siberian tigers in captivity in India.
Siberian Tiger:
- The Siberian tiger, or Amur tiger, is a population of the tiger subspecies Panthera tigris tigris.
- It is reddish-rusty or rusty-yellow in colour, with narrow black transverse stripes.
- It currently inhabits mainly the Sikhote-Alin mountain region in southwest Primorye Province in the Russian far east.
- They are mainly found in parts of Russia and China.
- The male Siberian tiger can grow over 12 feet with a tail over 3 feet long and weigh over 400 kg. Their female counterparts are, however, smaller in size.
- Siberian tigers mate at any time of the year. Gestation lasts from 3 to 3½ months.
- Litter size is normally two or four cubs, but there can be as many as six.
- The average lifespan for Siberian tigers ranges from 16–18 years.
- Wild individuals tend to live between 10–15 years, while in captivity, individuals may live up to 25 years.
- Protection Status:
- CITES - Appendix I
- IUCN - Endangered.
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park:
- Established in 1958, it is situated in Darjeeling, West Bengal.
- It is the largest high-altitude zoo in the country.
- It specializes in breeding animals adapted to alpine conditions and has successful captive breeding programs for the Snow Leopard, the endangered Himalayan Wolf, and the Red Panda.
Red Panda:
- It is a small arboreal mammal found in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal.
- It is the state animal of Sikkim.
- Outside India, it is found in Nepal, Bhutan,the northern mountains of Myanmar, and southern China.
- It thrives best at 2,200-4,800m in mixed deciduous and conifer forests with dense understories of bamboo.
- The world has two panda species: the Giant Pandas and the Red Pandas. India is home to both the subspecies of Red Panda:
- Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens)
- Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani)
- The Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh splits the two phylogenetic species.
- Protection Status:
-
- Red Pandas:
-
-
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I
-
-
- Giant Pandas:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix I