And again in Mykolaiv Zoo, namely in the department of carnivores, it's a holiday. There are birthday girls in the feline family. Today, September 21, 2024, our sisters, the Siberian tigresses Penelopa and Agrypyna, celebrate their birthday.

They are turning 19! This is quite a decent age, considering that in natural conditions tigers live 12-15 years. Thanks to the constant care and attention of employees, the life expectancy of animals in zoos is much higher.

Tigresses were born in our zoo. Their parents' names were Alpha and Puzyr. Agrypyna and Penelopa lived together in the same enclosure for a very long time. With age, the character of the females worsened, and they stopped tolerating each other, it even got to the point of violent quarrels. The zoo staff separated them, and now one tigress is kept in an enclosure and the other in a winter room. So, with a frequency of once a week, the location of the tigresses changes. Therefore, visitors see only one tigress in the enclosure. According to accounting documents, 27 children were born to Agrypyna, and 20 to Penelopa, the cubs went to different zoos around the world.

Tigers have been kept in Mykolaiv Zoo since 1978. During this period, we have had about 70 tiger cubs. In addition to Siberian tigers, our zoo also kept Sumatran tigers (late 1970s - early 1980s), but they did not reproduce. The total number of tigers kept in our zoo is 80.

Enclosures with a fairly large area, natural landscape, shady trees, pools, in which the tigers love to swim, have been built for tigers and lions in Mykolaiv Zoo.

In winter, the Siberian origin of our cats makes itself felt. They really like to lie in the snow or even ride on the ice of a frozen pool...

Interesting to know! The tiger is the largest, strongest and most agile cat on the planet. And now it is extremely rare! Currently, this animal is under international protection, listed in the IUCN Red List, and since 2014, tiger hunting has been banned worldwide. For example, in China, the most severe punishment for killing a tiger is the death penalty. By keeping and breeding Siberian tigers Mykolaiv Zoo contributed to the preservation of these beautiful animals!

For those who do not know where our birthday girls live, we inform you that you can see them in the "Island of Animals" exhibition complex.