Endangered tiger Sarang arrives at the Columbus Zoo
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Sarang, a 4-year-old female tiger, is the zoo's newest resident. Photos: Courtesy of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
One of the world's rarest big cat species is the newest Columbus Zoo resident as part of a global conservation effort.
The big cat: Sarang, a 4-year-old female Amur (Siberian) tiger, arrived last week from Seoul Zoo in South Korea.
- Her journey took two years of coordination between the zoos through the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Global Species Management Plan for Amur tigers.
- The transfer required international coordination of veterinarians, logistics and transport.
Between the stripes: The Amur tiger, native to eastern Russia and northeastern China, is the largest of all tiger subspecies and the only living tiger adapted to survive cold climates.
- Due largely to habitat loss and poaching, they're globally endangered.
- Only an estimated 500 remain in the wild.
What they're saying: "Assuring that we will have tigers in accredited zoos so that we can help save these endangered species from extinction is a shared commitment that extends beyond any one institution or country, and we're proud to be part of a global community working together to advance the long-term conservation of Amur tigers," zoo president and CEO Tom Schmid said in a release.
State of play: Sarang joins 2-year-old brothers Lewis and Clark, who arrived earlier this year.
