Sasha’s first day in Budapest October 13, 2021

We have been working with tigers in our zoo since the 1870s, and the breeding of Siberian tigers also dates back several decades. Our current female tiger, 15-year-old Niva, who gave birth to and raised five cubs in Budapest, was widowed in May of this year (her partner was 18 years old, which is quite a respectable age for a male tiger). We wanted Niva to have a new partner as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Veszprém Zoo was just looking for a place for a 12-year-old male tiger named Sasha. This means Sasha's trip to Budapest promises to be the best possible solution for everyone, especially the animals.

Incidentally, in the world of zoos, it is not uncommon for one or another animal to move to a new location, another zoo. For example, they may leave the "parental home" upon growing up, or their future mate may be waiting for them at the new location. In breeding programs that internationally coordinate the reproduction of endangered species in zoos for nature conservation purposes, we also strive to ensure that the members of the given species living in different zoos do not form isolated populations. This, in turn, requires that from time to time breeding animals move from one zoo to another.

Because our Zoo participates in many such breeding programs, we have a lot of experience in how to get animals acquainted and adapted to their new home as well as their kin in the new environment. This is precisely what's going on now in the case of Sasha, and the process has only been made smoother by the fact that one of his former caregivers was here with him in the early days, helping him integrate.

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