Picture: Tigers get into Halloween spirit

Published on 23/10/2012 05:07

It’s a sight that would send a shiver down the spine into any prospective trick-or-treater but there’s no need for alarm. For these tigers are not roaming the streets on the look-out for pumpkins but have instead been set a challenge by their keepers at a Scottish wildlife park.

Amur tigers Dominica and Marty have been getting interested in pumpkins with hidden meat treats inside at the Royal Scottish Zoological Society’s Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie, Inverness-shire.

Hand carved pumpkins are being hung from trees at different heights around the tiger enclosure to “enrich” the three-year old tigers’ feeding experience while providing amusement for the park’s visitors.

Animal collection manager at the Park Douglas Richardson, said: “There is hidden meat in some of the pumpkins, and some are empty, so it will either be a treat or trick for the tigers.

“The Halloween treats have been suspended so both Dominca and Marty have to work to get their food.

“It’s always great to watch these incredibly strong and agile animals problem-solve and work out how they can get to their food, which also encourages them to exhibit more of the natural behaviours they would in the wild.”

Amur tigers are formally listed as endangered and it is estimated that there are only between 400 and 450 left in the wild.