Q. So, Miss Martin, how did you get your position
working with the zoo?
A. I have a bachelor’s degree in
biology/psychology and interned at the St. Louis Zoo. After graduating
college I got an Education Instructor position and worked my way up to
Coordinator.
Q. What is your favorite animal that
you have at the zoo?
A. I like the Black-footed
Cats. They are in the Africa section of the Zoo near the Lions.
Q. What is your favorite kind of
tiger?
A. My favorite kind of tiger is the
Amur, which is native to far eastern Russia. They are also the largest cats in
the world!
Q. What is the usual temperament for
a tiger? Are they happy and lazy? Fierce and protective?
A. Tigers tend to be a little more
high energy than other large cats like lions.
Q. Do tigers mate for life? What
advantages or disadvantages does this have?
A. Nope, but they are solitary
animals. Males tend to have larger territories where several females may
live and he can subsequently breed with them.
Q.Is it true that tigers aren’t
afraid of people and will attack them like any other prey?
A. I wouldn’t say that tigers aren’t
afraid of people. However they are predators and will treat us like prey
if they are hungry. We are typically pretty easy prey to catch,
especially if we are by ourselves.
Q. Are tigers colorblind like dogs
or other cats? Is that a hindrance to tigers trying to hunt and distinguish
animals camouflaged in the environment?
A. Tigers are not colorblind, they
can see some color but not as many colors as we can. No, tigers are
ambush predators and will wait for their prey to get close enough.
Q. Can tigers be domesticated and
kept as pets? If so, is this a good idea?
A. No! Tigers are wild
animals, and have very unpredictable behavior. Unfortunately, many people
in the U.S. keep them as pets. There are more tigers kept in private
facilities (not zoos) in Texas than there are in the wild. Many of these
cats do not get the nutrition or space they need and subsequently escape,
attack their owners, or get very sick.
Q. I’ve heard that a tiger has
special nerves in its teeth. Is this true? If so, what do they do and how?
A. They do have nerves in their
teeth, but there is nothing special about them. They do, however, have a
Jacobson organ in the roof of their mouth. This organ takes in pheromones
which gives the tiger a lot of information about another tiger.
Q. If I am ever cornered by a tiger,
what can I do to scare it off? If not, can I do anything to maximize my chances
for survival?
A. I would suggest not getting
cornered by a tiger in the first place. If the tiger has chosen you as
prey, you are as good as done.
Q. Is it true that many tiger
species are endangered today?
A. Yes, each of the 6 remaining subspecies
of tiger is listed as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation
of Nature).
Q. Which tiger subspecies are endangered? How many tigers are left in the wild, and where would their natural habitat(s) be?
A. The Bengal, Indochinese, Malayan, Sumatran, Siberian, and South China tigers are all endangered. Today, there are fewer than 4,000 tigers remain. These tigers live across much of Asia, and are native to 13 different countries. They have the ability to adapt to a wide range of environments and can be found in many environments from the warm, humid tropics to the cold, northern taiga forests! For more information, visit http://www.mnzoo.org/tigerSSP/conserResearch.html
Q. What is endangering these tigers,
and what would happen to the tigers if nothing is done to stop it?
A. Poaching and loss of habitat
through deforestation are the two main causes for the tigers’ endangerment.
Furthermore, due to the dwindling number of tigers, inbreeding is leading to
more and more genetic problems with the remaining animals, which reduces the
tiger population even further. If nothing is done to stop these serious
problems, tigers will eventually become extinct.
Q. What efforts are being made by
wildlife conservations to protect these tigers from endangerment or extinction?
A. The Tiger Conservation Campaign
is raising awareness about wild tigers and funding for their conservation. In
particular, they seek to help the Amur, Malayan, and Sumatran tigers, each of
which is highly endangered in the wild.
Q. Do you think that wildlife
conservations will be able to eventually save these species?
A. It will take more than just
wildlife conservation to save tigers, this includes all of us.
Again, we would like to acknowledge and thank Miss Martin for her time and cooperation to help us with our project!
