News Excerpt:

Two Siberian Tigers were brought from Cyprus to Darjeeling’s Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.

About the news:

• In exchange, the zoological park sent two Red Pandas to Cyprus’s Pafos Zoo.
• According to the authorities, there were currently no Siberian tigers in captivity in India.

Siberian Tiger:

• The Siberian tiger, or Amur tiger, is a population of the tiger subspecies Panthera tigris tigris.
• It is reddish-rusty or rusty-yellow in colour, with narrow black transverse stripes.
• It currently inhabits mainly the Sikhote-Alin mountain region in southwest Primorye Province in the Russian far east.
  • They are mainly found in parts of Russia and China.
• The male Siberian tiger can grow over 12 feet with a tail over 3 feet long and weigh over 400 kg. Their female counterparts are, however, smaller in size.
• Siberian tigers mate at any time of the year. Gestation lasts from 3 to 3½ months.
• Litter size is normally two or four cubs, but there can be as many as six.
• ​​The average lifespan for Siberian tigers ranges from 16–18 years.
  • Wild individuals tend to live between 10–15 years, while in captivity, individuals may live up to 25 years.

• Protection Status:

• CITES - Appendix I
• IUCN - Endangered.

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park:

• Established in 1958, it is situated in Darjeeling, West Bengal.
• It is the largest high-altitude zoo in the country.
• It specializes in breeding animals adapted to alpine conditions and has successful captive breeding programs for the Snow Leopard, the endangered Himalayan Wolf, and the Red Panda.

Red Panda:

• It is a small arboreal mammal found in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal.
  • It is the state animal of Sikkim.
  • Outside India, it is found in Nepal, Bhutan,the northern mountains of Myanmar, and southern China.
• It thrives best at 2,200-4,800m in mixed deciduous and conifer forests with dense understories of bamboo.
• The world has two panda species: the Giant Pandas and the Red Pandas. India is home to both the subspecies of Red Panda:
  • Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens)
  • Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani)
• The Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh splits the two phylogenetic species.

• Protection Status:

• • Red Pandas:

• • • IUCN Red List: Endangered
    • CITES: Appendix I
    • Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I

• • Giant Pandas:

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I