Male Sumatran tiger returns to Zoo Atlanta for another chance at fatherhood

ATLANTA, 2014-03-14 — /Travel PR News/ — Male Sumatran tiger returns to Zoo Atlanta for another chance at fatherhood

WHO: Zoo Atlanta welcomes the return of a spectacular big cat who’s back in Atlanta for a chance to get reacquainted with his former feline flame. Kavi, a 13-year-old male Sumatran tiger, recently traveled back to the Zoo after nearly two years at Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park.

WHAT: Kavi, who originally made his debut at Zoo Atlanta in 2006, is the father of Sohni and Sanjiv, the cubs born to 10-year-old Chelsea in 2011. In summer 2012, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP) recommended that Kavi join a female in Washington, D.C., where he sired two cubs born in 2013. The Tiger SSP has since recommended that Kavi return to Atlanta to pair with Chelsea again in hopes that the two may become parents for the second time.

Moves such as Kavi’s are crucial to the continued success of the zoological population of this critically endangered species, of which fewer than 300 are believed to remain in the wild. As a breeding center for Sumatran tigers and many other endangered species, Zoo Atlanta is committed to following SSP recommendations that benefit animal populations living in accredited zoos.

Kavi will complete a routine quarantine period before appearing on exhibit in the Zoo’s Complex Carnivores habitat. Sumatran tigers are solitary mammals, with males and females only associating for breeding, and males play no role in the rearing of their offspring.

Just as Kavi returns, his son and daughter Sanjiv and Sohni, both 2 years old, have recently embarked on their own adventures in new homes. Sanjiv now lives at the Akron Zoo, and Sohni is a resident of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

WHERE: Zoo Atlanta
800 Cherokee Avenue, S.E.
Atlanta, GA 30315

CONTACT: Keisha N. Hines, Director of Public Relations, Communications and Social Media
404.624.5980 – office
404.309.2238 – cell
khines@zooatlanta.org

About Zoo Atlanta
Founded in 1889 with the purchase of a bankrupt traveling circus, Zoo Atlanta celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2014. Viewed as one of the finest zoological parks in the U.S., the Zoo is a proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), with a mission to inspire value and preservation of wildlife through a unique mix of education and outdoor family fun. From well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, the Zoo offers memorable close encounters with nearly 1,400 animals from around the world. Highlights include Mei Lun and Mei Huan, the only twin giant pandas in the U.S.; the nation’s largest zoological collections of gorillas and orangutans; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Up-close-and-personal experiences include giraffe feeding, permitting guests to hand-feed Earth’s tallest living land mammals, and behind-the-scenes Wild Encounters with African elephants, giant pandas, lemurs and Aldabra giant tortoises. The Zoo is open daily with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife shows, education programs and special events run year-round. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org or call 404.624.WILD.

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