[Animal keepers watch closely for signs of stress or aggression at all times but especially during introductions. This picture was taken shortly after “Vaska’s” arrival and his posture and the position of his ears shows he is uneasy. ]
Visitors will once again be seeing two Amur tigers at the Peoria Zoo. The two females which had been housed at the Zoo since October 2006 were identified as being genetically valuable to the North American tiger population. In response to the Species Survival Plan (SSP), one of the females was transported to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo where she is to meet a new mate. On December 10, 2011, an 11- year old male named “Vaska” arrived in Peoria from the Minnesota Zoo.
Since his arrival, “Vaska” has been housed in the tiger building where he has been able to see and smell his new mate “Kyra”. Animal care staff have been using observations of the behavior of both cats while proceeding with the introduction. A video camera was installed in the house so additional observations would be available. Once the cats were comfortable just being in the same space, they were moved closer together. A major milestone was reached when the cats shared a common fence line without any aggressive behavior. The next step of the plan is to get “Vaska” comfortable in the yard and with the routine of coming back into the house each night. “Vaska” was given the opportunity to come outside on the morning of February 2 but he chose to stay inside. Staff will continue to give “Vaska” the option of going outside in the morning and allow him to make the decision as to when he wants to make his public debut.
</a>[The male muntjac “Sampson” arrived at the Peoria Zoo in April.]
The Zoo’s male muntjac, “Sampson”, also got a companion and she has not been as shy; venturing into the outdoor exhibit as soon as the door was opened. “Mahalia” arrived in early December from the Henson Robinson Zoo in Springfield, Illinois. The pair has been successfully introduced, and they can often be seen following each other around their exhibit located on the Asian Trail close to the tiger exhibit.
