Terra Natura nature park in Benidorm celebrated the fifth birthday of the three Bengal who have been living at Terra Natura since 2015 after being relocated as cubs to Spain from the Boissiere zoo in France. Despite the fact that the park remains closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, the team of staff at the park wanted to commemorate Apollo, Ares and Zeus with a very special activity to mark their birthday and 5th anniversary of their arrival in Spain and to raise awareness about the conservation of their species.
To commemorate the birth of these big cats in May 2015, an environmental enrichment activity was prepared by keepers. Apollo, Ares and Zeus had to discover what was inside cardboard boxes that the park keepers had left hidden in their outdoor enclosure. When the three tigers located their surprises, they did not hesitate to tear open the boxes and get to the tasty meat inside.
Keepers revealed that environmental enrichment activities such as this one aim to improve the animals’ well-being, varying the routine in a way that stimulates senses such as smell and taste. The arrival of these three tigers, together with their father Rajiv, a white tiger and their mother Shana, is part of the collaboration framework that Terra Natura Benidorm maintains with the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Bengal Tiger is an endangered species, and its populations are in decline. The main threat is poaching for the illegal trade in products as well as human encroachment on the wild areas where this species lives. Bengal tigers are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
To raise awareness, keepers at the Benidorm park shared some interesting facts about Bengal Tigers. Among these big cats, communication is maintained through scent markings, visual cues, and vocalization. The odour marks are deposited as a musky liquid along with urine. In the case of visual cues, the tigers leave ‘messages’ for each other in the form of stains, scrapes, and claw marks on trees and other targets. Vocally, they communicate by roaring, growling, and hissing.