Changes in Tiger River
Posted at 3:28 pm November 22, 2006 by Bridget Mulholland
There have been quite a few changes in Tiger River in the past couple of weeks, and I can’t say that all of them have been for the better. The first change, as many of you already know, is that our young tiger brothers, Mata and Rimba, have moved to their new home at the Palm Beach Zoo in Florida (see Bridget’s previous blog, Tiger Brothers Ready). I drove with them to the Los Angeles airport on November 8 and watched as they were loaded into the cargo area of the plane.
I am happy to say that both boys were very relaxed in their crates, and they didn’t seem to mind that they were treated like celebrities while they were in the cargo loading section of the airport! They were surrounded by admirers taking pictures with their camera phones and commenting on how handsome they were. The next morning I received word that the boys arrived safely and were very calm as they came out of their crates in their new home. I haven’t yet gotten any new updates on how they’re doing, but as soon as I do, I’ll be sure to let everyone know!
The second change in Tiger River is that Mek and Awang (the parents of Mata and Rimba) are back together and getting along fabulously! They were reintroduced behind the scenes in their bedrooms, and although Awang received a couple of minor scratches for getting a little too close to Mek when she wasn’t quite ready, in general they seemed happy to be together again because there was a lot of chuffing (a tiger greeting) and face rubbing. The next day they went out to the exhibit together, and since then they’ve been acting like they were never apart. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed for some successful breeding when Mek comes into estrous, in hopes for a new litter of little ones!
The third and final change in Tiger River is a devastating one. We lost a long-time resident of Tiger River. Belang, our 13-year-old male Malaysian tiger, died November 7. We will miss him very much. Goodbye, sweet Belang. You will always be remembered as a noble, handsome, and wonderful ambassador for your species. May you rest in peace.
Bridget Mulholland is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
Belang is pictured above enjoying an enrichment item.
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November 22nd, 2006 at 5:10 pm
So sad to hear about Belang, how did he die? Was he sick? Rest in peace Belang…
Editor’s note: Belang died from cardiac arrest.
November 25th, 2006 at 6:37 am
Hello
I would like to know about the subspecies of your tigers at San Diego zoo.
ISIS website says that they are ” corbetti” (Indochinese). Are they true ” corbetti” or are they ” jacksoni” (Malayan) or even hybrids??
In advance thank you very much!
Pierre
Editor’s note: The tigers at the San Diego Zoo were originally believed to be Indochinese tigers Panthera tigris corbetti. This new study, however, split the Indochinese subspecies into two: the Malaysian (or Malayan) tiger, found on the Malaysian Peninsula, and the Indochinese tiger, living in more northern areas from Myanmar (formerly Burma) to southwest China.
As it turns out, the tigers at the San Diego Zoo are Malaysian (or Malayan) tigers Panthera tigris jacksoni.
November 25th, 2006 at 10:20 am
Bridget, I was so saddened to hear of Belang’s death. He was such a beautiful guy! My condolences go out to you and to the rest of the Tiger River staff.
It seems strange with him gone and Mata and Rimba off to their new adventures in Palm Beach. Please let us know how they are doing when you hear. I’m looking forward to seeing Awang and Mek together soon.
November 27th, 2006 at 7:31 am
Bridget, it is so sad to hear of Belang’s death. Was he suddenly ill, or did he have a known heart problem? With all the blogs lately about the wonderful loving care the animals get from their keepers and the veterinary staff who work tirelessly to prevent and cure any health challenges they have, it must be an especially sad time for all of you. How long do tigers normally live in captivity? Was Belang born in captivity or did he come from the wild? I did not have the privilege of seeing him in person, but noticed that you called him ” sweet Belang” and you commented, ” You will always be remembered as a noble, handsome, and wonderful ambassador for your species.” That says a lot to me about the personality and physical traits of an animal from the people who know him best.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
How are Mata and Rimba doing in their new home? Have they finished their quarantine and acclimation period yet?
December 12th, 2006 at 4:19 pm
On television i saw a place in Florida where people can walk up to the tigers since they were all raised in captivity. Do you know where that is?
December 30th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
oh that’s so sad! is it belang who died? i really love tigers. well, you have two left and of course blanca. R.I.P
belang and happy hunting in tiger heaven!
January 3rd, 2007 at 10:39 pm
I’m sorry to hear about Belang’s death. He must have been a great tiger…
I would like to see Mek and Awang together in their exhibit.
Do Mata and Rimba enjoy their life at the zoo in Florida? I hope they are.
I’ll be visiting the San Diego zoo soon! I’ll be sure to check out the tiger exhibit and see Mek and Awang. Hopefully there’ll be some new tigers there also!
June 1st, 2007 at 1:23 pm
How is Danai doing without Belang? They were not together very long before he died? Did he die of injury or illness? Did it have anything to do with them being together again? Will you reverse the tubal ligation for Danai and mate her with another tiger, or do they mate for life?
Does she show any impact from being solitary again?
September 28th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
My little nephew is very much into animals, like aligators, crocodiles, gharials, and caimans. Could you tell me if you have these at the zoo?
Thank you,
Moderator’s note: Alligators can be see on Reptile Mesa, and gharials and caimans live in pools in both Tiger River and Monkey Trails habitats.
February 5th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Oh, poor Belang! I’m so sorry!
From #1: What is cardiac arrest?
Moderator’s note: Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating.