By: Shannon Irmscher, Animal Curator
There’s a new sub-species of tiger at Mesker Park Zoo! You may remember our Amur tiger Nuri went to the Erie Zoo last year, in preparation for a complete renovation of the holding space below our tiger exhibit. This reno will not only give a tiger more space but will also allow zookeepers more opportunities to train various husbandry behaviors. Now that this construction is complete, there’s a new cat in town!
Luna the Sumatran tiger was born in 2022 at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Sumatran tigers are the smallest sub-species of tigers. While Luna is still young and has some growing to do, you may notice that she is significantly smaller than the Amur tigers you’re used to seeing in our tiger habitat. Sumatran tigers are also much more secretive than Amur tigers and dwell mostly in forests, so you may have to look a little harder to spot Luna on exhibit. Sumatrans have the thinnest stripe pattern of any tiger, which helps them to blend in better with their forest habitat.
While all subspecies of tiger are endangered, Sumatran tigers are critically endangered, and it’s estimated there may be less than 400 animals remaining in the wild. They are found only on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Their drastically declining numbers are due to poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict. There are national parks in Sumatra and many conservation organizations working with dedicated people on the ground to stop poachers and preserve Sumatran tiger habitat. Arrests of hunters and poachers are on the rise, setting the scene for a rise in the tiger population as well. Having a Sumatran tiger at Mesker Park Zoo is amazing for not only our guests, but also our conservation efforts as we now have a direct correlation with trying to sustain and save this species.
Luna can be found in the Asia loop of the zoo. She is excellent at hiding, so make sure you look under trees/shrubs, on the tiger bridge, and anywhere you think a cat would enjoy hiding!