Blog Archive

Ever get the feeling like you're being watched? I get that feeling everyday I am at work and it's not just a feeling... I am usually being watched when I walk along the back service road behind the big cats.

No, it is not a camera or a person watching me, it’s a very nosey Sumatran Tiger named Tuan!

Tuan is our 12 year old male tiger from Germany and he is a very inquisitive cat. Tuan's beautiful Sumatran Rainforest themed exhibit backs onto our service road where we move around behind the scenes to look after the animals. For Tuan to see us he needs to stand on his hind legs to peer over the back wall of his exhibit - such a funny sight. What’s even funnier is Tuan thinks we can’t see him because he usually positions himself behind a large pole.

Most of the time you don’t realise he is watching you - they are very quiet animals when they move. They are so silent because of their big soft pads on their paws and this silence helps them with hunting their prey in the wild. I am starting to pick up on the subtle movement of the bamboo as he moves along the wall and have been quick enough to sneak up on him, which he greets with a growl.

Another reason Tuan likes to peer over the back wall is to check on his girlfriend, Assiqua. If Assiqua is hanging out the back during the day he likes to check up on her and see what she is up to... as I said he is very nosey! And now that Assiqua has seen Tuan do it a couple of times she has been seen doing the same behaviour.

Recently we have been doing some work in the area behind the Tiger exhibits and it is very funny to watch Tuan watching the horticulture or maintenance staff, especially when they realise they are being watched by a 95 kilo tiger, who is most likely eyeing them off for lunch.

Arliah