Zoos, Circuses, Safaris: A Gallery of Captivity

[Amnon242]

(01-18-2019, 10:05 PM)Amnon242 Wrote: White kruger (very huge, my estimate around 250 kg) and tigress snarling at each other.

When it comes to this picture, I have quite interesting story. The owner told me, that before the arrival of kruger lion and lioness, there were east african lions in that enclosure (these lions are not huge, they were like 160-170 kg)*. Couple of white tigers in next enclosure (subadult male and female) had quite neutral attitude towards them and vice versa. But when the krugers arrived, the situation has changed. Prime krugers vs. subadult tigers (about 2yo I think). That male kruger can be around 250 kg. For some months the tigers were just lying on the ground, carefully observing the lions...but finally they got used to them and now there is a balance of power between them (another thing is that tigers grew up). It seems that in comparison to lions, tigers are much more conservative when it comes to establishing social relationships. IMO the main reason for this "shyness" is that posiible conflict may result in injury and this has much worse consequences for solitary predator.    

* later only one old male stayed in the enclosure, the lionesses were moved to younger male. The old male died at the age of 24 (I saw him 1 month before his death). Reply