Singapore Zoo lets visitors get closer to white tigers
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Singapore Zoo lets visitors get closer to white tigers
By Evelyn Choo, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 February 2010 0023 hrsSINGAPORE: Remember the white tigers that made the headlines when a man went into their enclosure and got mauled to death at the zoo?
One year on, the Singapore Zoo is asking visitors to get to know these very same tigers and how they are trained.
Meet Omar - a 10-year-old Bengal tiger who resides at the Singapore Zoo.
And today is that time of the week when Omar goes for his conditioning session with his keeper. He is taught to respond correctly to stimulants and gets rewarded with a meaty treat.
Francis Lim, Curator at Singapore Zoo, said: "In the past, we had to sedate the animal. That means we have to knock the animal down, let them sleep so we can do a close examination. But with this operant conditioning, we don't have to do that. It's safe for the animal, it doesn't compromise the animal's health."
For the zookeepers, it is part of a bond that has been built over seven years.
Mohamed Nasir, Zookeeper at Singapore Zoo, said: "There was one time when Omar was really ill. He was really, really down because of his kidney. He was really sick, and you can really feel the pain. He is like our family member. Omar is a bit bossy since he is the only male here. And like a typical male he has this ego in him. And he always has to be the first one."
For $28, visitors can witness this intimate session, but they have to stay behind the line and keep their voices down.
For the less adventurous, visitors can take a peek at what the rest of the animal kingdom are up to this Lunar New Year season. - CNA/de -
Waiting for accident to happen.
No matter how, animal is animal. Cannot be tame.
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Originally posted by likeyou:
Waiting for accident to happen.
No matter how, animal is animal. Cannot be tame.
Agree. These are big cats not to be trifle with.
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If I want to see and pay $28, I will make sure I wear steel cloth that cover my whole body and head...
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Originally posted by likeyou:
If I want to see and pay $28, I will make sure I wear steel cloth that cover my whole body and head...
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One will not know the temperment of the tiger at that time when one visits, better not take risk
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Saw the news and the tiger is being spoonfeed, that make a tiger lost it killing instinct. Not a good idea to do this kind of treatment.
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Haha... Male tigers are less aggressive than females. I remember they were saying back then that it was the two female tigers that attack the zoo keeper. Omar looked and watched but did not care.
LOL... Cos nature instinct is that the female tigers go hunting for the male tiger to eat. It happens for lions, I suppose for tigers too?
LOL... Males only fight amongst each other over territories and the females. -
No point paying $28 and stand behind the red line with enclosed cage.
Go africa...wide safari.
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Originally posted by likeyou:
Saw the news and the tiger is being spoonfeed, that make a tiger lost it killing instinct. Not a good idea to do this kind of treatment.
The White Tiger was never natural to begin with, it's a genetic mutation humans selected for that would never survive sucessfully in the wild.
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don't know don't anyhow write what genetic mutation? watch too much x-men and study too less of nature
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This is cruelty to animals, temping the tigers with HUMAN flesh but cannot eat them...
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Originally posted by ahtansh:
This is cruelty to animals, temping the tigers with HUMAN flesh but cannot eat them...
Exploit for $$. Haiz..
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Zoo certainly know how to earn good money.
Poor white tiger...spoon feed some more!
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Originally posted by ahtansh:
This is cruelty to animals, temping the tigers with HUMAN flesh but cannot eat them...ill hunt for meat.
Tigers are carnivores. just like many meat eating hunters they only hunt stalk and kill when they are hungry for food. they don;t kill more than they need to feed on unless they need to drag some of the game back to their tiger's lair to feed their young. tigers' major meal of raw meat will still be done by the zookeepers. since ttigers in general has been hunted to near extinction keeping them at the zoo not only facilitate studies on them, protection they can also generate revenue as attraction. its not like traooing them for game or releasing them back to the wild again after getting them used to feeding and away from hunting for survival of their own. Its a fair deal. the tigers as exhibits and pay for their own meal from profits generated. -
Originally posted by likeyou:
Zoo certainly know how to earn good money.
Poor white tiger...spoon feed some more!
spoon feeding shall be something differnt and i am sure the white tigers will love to explode this new feeling. -
Originally posted by kcockicht:
Tigers are carnivores. just like many meat eating hunters they only hunt stalk and kill when they are hungry for food. they don;t kill more than they need to feed on unless they need to drag some of the game back to their tiger's lair to feed their young. tigers' major meal of raw meat will still be done by the zookeepers. since ttigers in general has been hunted to near extinction keeping them at the zoo not only facilitate studies on them, protection they can also generate revenue as attraction. its not like traooing them for game or releasing them back to the wild again after getting them used to feeding and away from hunting for survival of their own. Its a fair deal. the tigers as exhibits and pay for their own meal from profits generated.
How I wish that pap is just like tigers. I mean tiger when full, they wont kill. If talking about $$..... -
Originally posted by kcockicht:
spoon feeding shall be something differnt and i am sure the white tigers will love to explode this new feeling.
I really pity the white tiger cos the zoo keeper uses a stick with a red button, move up and down and using chopstick to feed the giant. -
Originally posted by likeyou:
How I wish that pap is just like tigers. I mean tiger when full, they wont kill. If talking about $$.....
Maybe speakers' corner more suited to express this thought? -
Originally posted by kcockicht:
Maybe speakers' corner more suited to express this thought? -
Originally posted by likeyou:
I really pity the white tiger cos the zoo keeper uses a stick with a red button, move up and down and using chopstick to feed the giant.
Oh is it. Maybe they taling precautions to prevent another mauding?Anyway the zoo keepr killed by white tigers also not the tigers' problem. he had suicideal thought already. secondly tigers are territorial. they don't usually kill once they are full but a sign of aggression by crossing in to their territory sure gaurantees some paw and claw actions from them.
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You are right Kco.
Those are big giant cats. No matter how zoo keepers tame the big cats, once feel threaten or cross over their line, they will attack you. They dont care whether you feed him everyday. Their instinct is to kill if threaten.
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The tigers are not the cats around the neighbourhood. They are big.
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i wonder if a pastor if get too near to the tigers get pawed will sue the tigers or not
how about kittens? bitten by kitten will sued kittens or not
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Originally posted by kcockicht:
i wonder if a pastor if get too near to the tigers get pawed will sue the tigers or not
how about kittens? bitten by kitten will sued kittens or not
???