AquaZoo prepares for arrival of tigers after obtaining building permit

AquaZoo Leeuwarden is preparing for the arrival of two Amur tigers. The building permit for the new enclosure has been granted by the municipality. The zoo expects to begin construction after the summer vacation and hopes to welcome new residents by the end of this year.

The Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, will have a spacious enclosure in the eastern part of the zoo, equipped with various types of planting, height differences and, of course, lots of water. The coordinator of the European breeding program of this Amur tiger will decide later this year which two animals will travel to Friesland.

Contribute to conservationThe arrival of this species is a wish come true for general manager Jeroen Loomeijer. "It is a beautiful animal that is very threatened in the wild: only a few hundred of them are still alive. As a zoo, we can actively help preserve these animals and their habitat through education, contributions to breeding programs and supporting conservation projects in nature. That, of course, is fantastic to be able to do."

In the new area, visitors are taken to the Amur River basin, one of the largest rivers in the world that flows in the southernmost part of Siberia, on the border of Russia and China. Along the way, they learn about the typical characteristics of this species and its habitat and the threats in the form of poachers and habitat reduction. They will also be told what both aid organizations like WCS Russia and the visitors themselves can do to improve the situation for this animal in the wild.

See the design of the new tiger enclosure below!