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Time to Roar at World Tiger Weekend 2021

Roar into World Tiger Weekend with enrichments, activities and more July 31-Aug. 1.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2021

TACOMA, Wash.—It’s time to roaaaarrr!! Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is celebrating its five endangered Sumatran tigers at the annual World Tiger Weekend event July 31-Aug. 1, with fun family activities that show how to protect tigers in the wild.

As part of the celebration, the Zoo will bring back its full timed schedule of Keeper Chats, animal training demos in the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, goat feeding, stingray touching and garden tours, beginning this weekend. For the complete daily schedule, see pdza.org/daily-presentations.

Point Defiance Zoo is home to five Sumatran tigers: males Bandar and Rajah, plus sisters Kali, Kirana and Indah. The three females were all born at the Zoo.

Keepers will give enrichments to different tigers all weekend in various Asia Forest Sanctuary habitats. On both days tigers will enjoy:

  • 9:15am Whipped cream on the window
  • 11am Melons
  • 2pm Meat shanks

Hands-on tiger activities from 10am – 4pm both days around the Asian Forest Sanctuary include:

  • Biofact Table: Discover how a tiger’s fur, claws and teeth help it survive in its forest home (near waterfall)
  • Tiger Trivia: Spin the trivia wheel to test your tiger knowledge (viewing hut)
  • Cat Fur Matching: Test your skills at identifying which fur belongs to which cat (across from Day Room)

Three new stories on the Zoo’s blog tell how Point Defiance Zoo is helping save the species, both in zoos and in the wild. Meet all five tigers and read their stories at pdza.org/tiger.

“Sumatran tigers are beautiful, fascinating animals, but like all tiger species are critically endangered,” said Asian Animal Curator Telena Welsh. “We hope this weekend of enrichments and fun activities inspires guests to take positive conservation actions to protect tigers in the wild.”

World Tiger Weekend is free with Zoo admission or membership.

For more information about the event, see pdza.org/world-tiger-weekend. To learn how to help tigers, visit pdza.org/save-tigers.

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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Northwest’s only combined zoo and aquarium, practices and promotes responsible stewardship of the world’s resources through education, conservation, research and recreational opportunities. The zoo, a division of Metro Parks Tacoma, is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).


Media Contacts

Whitney DalBalcon: 253-278-6343 or whitney.dalbalcon@pdza.org
Tessa LaVergne: 253-686-6927 or tessa.lavergne@pdza.org

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