Of the 600 Siberian tigers left in the world, two now live in Madrid. The capital's zoo has received two two-year-old, 200-kilogram wild cats, which are part of the Conservation Program of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). The specimens had to leave the Kolmarden Zoo, in southern Sweden, because the herd already had a male, their father. The Madrid Zoo has expressed in a press release that the arrival of the tigers seeks to “raise visitors' awareness about the threat faced by this big cat,” which was on the brink of extinction just a few decades ago. However, various animal rights associations have criticized the arrival of these felines to Spain and accuse the zoo of forcing an advertising campaign that hides the dangers of keeping these species in captivity.
Altai and Dunay crossed the continent by road in a two-day trip of more than 3,000 kilometers. They were accompanied by a caretaker and “in large, independent containers, with enough space to move and stretch,” as detailed by María Delclaux, curator of terrestrial mammals at the Madrid Zoo, who explains that the “animals had to be moved from the park to there [Sweden] because they already had a male, so they had to take out the young.” The Siberian tiger is a solitary and very territorial species. The only herds are made up of mothers and calves under 2 years old. Adult males live and hunt alone. Delclaux, also in charge of the Endangered Species Conservation Programs at the Madrid Zoo, has emphasized that the felines will not only fulfill “an educational role” to inform the public about the state of conservation, but will also serve to carry out behavioral studies.
However, some environmental groups do not consider that the transfer of the tigers represents a step forward in the fight for conservation. The national spokesperson for the Animalist Party with the Environment (PACMA), Yolanda Morales, accuses the zoo of
greenwashing
, an anglicism used to indicate those practices that, although they harm the environment, are promoted as ecologically responsible activities. “For us it is not an example of harmonious coexistence with animals,” says the press officer of the animalist party, for whom the possession of enclosed animals “does not have any type of justification, unless it is for the purposes of recovery of the species.” and to reintroduce [into their habitat],” he remarks. The Madrid Zoo plans to keep the cats in captivity indefinitely, a practice that Delclaux defends in endangered species. "The conservation program contemplates keeping a population in captivity to have a genetic
stock
in case a reintroduction of the animals is necessary."
Along the same lines as PACMA, Neus Aragonès, member of the Animal Rights Defense Association (ADDA), points out that the benefits exhibited by the zoo are “a makeup operation.” The activist is aware that in some cases the reintroduction of captive animals to the ecosystem can be risky for specimens that are not used to surviving on their own. But in these cases, he states, "you should not use a zoo but rather recovery centers" which, being places designed for animals, rather than for humans, replicate more precisely the natural environment of the species and, consequently, increases your quality of life. Aragonès draws attention to the fact that the biological constitution of these animals responds to sub-zero temperature environments. “Taking them to a zoo in southern Europe with summers that exceed 40 degrees is outrageous,” the animal activist concluded.
The largest cat in the world
A Siberian tiger at the Madrid Zoo.Madrid Zoo
The Siberian tiger or Amur tiger—by
region to which they belong on the border between China and Russia—is the largest living feline in the world, it can reach 3.6 meters in length and weigh more than 300 kilos. Its claws measure up to 10 centimeters and its fur is longer and thicker than other subspecies of tigers, given the extreme temperatures it must endure, which in the Siberian plain drop to more than 30 degrees below zero. This colossal feline, whose scientific name is
Panthera tigris altaica,
was on the verge of extinction in the 1940s, when only 40 specimens remained. Its current population is concentrated in Asian countries such as Russia, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal and India.
The main threats to Siberian tigers are poaching, illegal trafficking of their organs (used in folk remedies), habitat loss, decline in prey and territorial conflicts. Enrique Pérez, director of the Madrid Zoo, celebrated the arrival of the specimens.
The entity that made the transfer of the animals possible is EAZA, the largest professional association of zoos and aquariums in the world, with 345 members in more than 40 European countries. One of its members is the Madrid Zoo and Aquarium, which has operated in Casa de Campo since June 23, 1972. On its website, the zoo is proud to run “63 conservation programs for endangered species.” , such as the white and Indian rhinoceros, the Bornean orangutan, the coastal gorilla, the imperial eagle or the giant otters. Now add one more with the arrival of the Siberian tigers. Wild cats that live in captivity live longer than those that live freely, which means that, by staying in the zoo, Altai and Dunay will gain an average of eight more years of life... If only the quantity is taken into account.
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