Animal alert: Point Defiance Zoo welcomes new otters, debuts tiger this weekend

The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium (PDZA) in Tacoma has some otterly exciting news to share.

PDZA is welcoming a new male otter and celebrating an otter pup, while also debuting its Sumatran tiger this weekend.

Meet Bini: Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium’s new Sumatran tiger

Sumatran tiger Bintang, meaning “star” in Indonesian, will be visible to guests in the Asian Forest Sanctuary from December 19 to 21.

Bintang, or Bini for short, is a 7-year-old 250-pound male tiger. He arrived in November from Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. The zoo said he has been settling behind the scenes, getting to know his new home.

“Bini is an absolute delight. He has a great temperament, is playful in nature, and remarkably brave as he gets to know his new surroundings,” Telena Welsh, the Curator of the zoo’s Asian Forest Sanctuary, stated in a news release from PDZA. “He’s already showing interest in the other tigers and is adapting with confidence.”

Bini arrived in Tacoma as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan for Sumatran tigers. Over the coming month, he will be gradually introduced to female tiger Mawar.

Bintang the tiger smiles for a picture. (Photo: Katie Cotterill, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium)

The zoo noted there are only about 400 tigers in the wild on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. There are fewer than 75 Sumatran tigers in accredited North American zoos.

“We’re working hard to protect and boost the population of this critically endangered species,” Welsh stated. “Species Survival Plans help ensure a healthy, genetically diverse, and self-sustaining population, safeguarding the long-term future of these majestic big cats.”

Visitors will be able to see Bini as he rotates with other species in the five habitats of the Asian Forest Sanctuary. One of those species is the Asian small-clawed otter.

New otter arrives at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, pup born to resident pair

Yuki, a male Asian small-clawed otter, is exploring the Asian Forest Sanctuary after arriving at the zoo through a breeding recommendation. Yuki was paired with female otter Arista as part of a program to maintain healthy populations of vulnerable species.

“The pair has been successfully introduced and are very comfortable with each other,” Welsh stated. “They are sharing space as a bonded pair and settling in well.”

Visitors can spot Yuki and Arista in the Asian Forest Sanctuary, where animals rotate through habitats on daily and weekly schedules.

Yuki and Arista embrace each other. (Photo: Katie Cotterill, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium)

The zoo also welcomed a new Asian small-clawed otter pup born to first-time parents Sebastian and Pintar in November.

“As is typical for the species, the new parents are extremely protective and territorial during the early weeks of pup-rearing,” Welsh stated.

PDZA’s head veterinarian, Dr. Karen Wolf, examined the pup and confirmed it is healthy.

“The pup is most likely male and is developing well,” Wolf stated. “At one month old, he weighed just under a pound and showed strong vigor, a round, healthy belly, and good overall condition. His eyes are still closed, which is normal at this stage.”

Sebastian, Pintar, and their pup will live separately from Yuki and Arista because the species is highly territorial.

For now, the three will stay behind the scenes until the pup is more mobile and the weather improves.

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