Zoo welcomes arrival of two-year-old tiger

A two-year-old Sumatran tiger looking towards the camera. He is sitting in an enclosure and has yellow, brown and black striped fur. Image source, Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens
Image caption,

Raja was said to have already made an impression with his inquisitive nature and confident character

  • Published

A wildlife park has welcomed a young tiger after it announced the death of the attraction's last remaining tiger earlier this year.

The two-year-old Sumatran, named Raja, arrived safely at Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, from Frankfurt Zoo in Germany.

In March, the zoo announced the death of 13-year-old tiger Kubu, who had joined the park in September 2013.

Scott Bird, Thrigby Hall's zoological director, said: "He's a beautiful young tiger and a fantastic ambassador for his species. We're incredibly grateful to our supporters for their patience and can't wait for them to meet him."

The park said Raja was part of the global species management programme for Sumatran tigers, with fewer than 400 left in the wild.

It said the animal had already made an impression with his inquisitive nature and confident character, and represented an "exciting new chapter" for the park's tiger habitat.

Raja is due to be joined later in the year by a female Sumatran tiger as part of a breeding programme, to help safeguard the future of the species.

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