PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Zoo has welcomed two new Amur tiger brothers. 18-month-old Luka and Dmitri are now settling into their new home in the heart of the zoo.
“We’re so happy to have Luka and Dmitri here,” said Amy Hash, who oversees the zoo’s tiger habitat. “They’re curious and playful and seem to be enjoying their new surroundings. Luka is calm and sweet, and Dmitri is a bit feistier.”
The Tiger brothers were born in North Dakota. Even though the cats look similar, Hash says the easiest way to tell them apart is by their distinct markings.
“Tiger stripes are unique to each individual, similar to our fingerprints,” Hash said.
Amur tigers are the largest of nine tiger subspecies that are at risk of extinction and only around 500 are believed to remain in their native habitat.
The Oregon Zoo has been a Tiger Conservation Campaign partner since 2012 and hopes to restore the populations by supporting, “counter-poaching measures and human-tiger coexistence efforts across their range countries.”
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