Great expectation: Oklahoma City Zoo announces animal pregnancy news
Lola, one of the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden's Sumatran tigers, is pregnant and expected to give birth this summer.
The zoo participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP) for Sumatran tigers, which made the recommendation for Lola, 10, to breed with mate, Kami, 14. This is Lola’s second pregnancy with Kami. The pair welcomed male triplets in July 2017.
“This pregnancy is great news for Sumatran tigers and we are anxiously awaiting Lola’s due date,” said Tyler Boyd, the Oklahoma City Zoo’s curator of carnivores. “Through our involvement with the AZA’s SSP for Sumatran tigers, the OKC Zoo is helping strengthen their population while further raising awareness for the conservation of this incredible species and its habitat.”
Lola’s birth on July 9, 2011, marked a historical event for the Oklahoma City Zoo as she and her three siblings were the first litter of Sumatran tigers to be born at the zoo. Six years later on her birthdate, Lola gave birth to her first litter, which was three males: Eko, Gusti and Ramah. Days after giving birth to her triplets, Lola became a foster mother to a female Amur tiger cub, Zoya.
Zoya, now 4, was born at the Philadelphia Zoo and her mother did not have the maternal instincts to care for her, so Zoya was cross-fostered with Lola’s triplets. This was the first documented case of cross-fostering tigers of a different subspecies among AZA zoos.
The Oklahoma City Zoo’s veterinary and carnivore care teams confirmed Lola’s pregnancy through ultrasounds. Following an approximately 100-day gestation, she is expected to give birth this summer. According to Lola’s caretakers, she is healthy and they will be working closely with the zoo’s veterinary team to monitor her pregnancy through ongoing exams and ultrasounds. Lola voluntarily participates in medical care behaviors such as ultrasounds through positive reinforcement training, making it a comfortable experience for her.
Sumatran tigers are critically endangered with only an estimated 500 living in the forests of Indonesia. Their survival is seriously threatened by habitat loss driven primarily by the cultivation of palm oil plantations and by illegal hunting.
The Oklahoma City Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with the last entry no later than 4 p.m. To learn more about zoo happenings, call 405-424-3344 or go to okczoo.org.
OKC Zoo offers discount
The Oklahoma City Zoo is offering discounted general admission to Oklahoma foster families and SNAP participants.
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden and Oklahoma Department of Human Services are working together to connect Oklahomans to wildlife. SNAP participants and foster families will receive general zoo admission for $3 per person with proof of valid program ID and valid Oklahoma photo ID with matching name.
“We’re proud to partner with OKDHS to enhance our access programs and create these new opportunities for Oklahomans to experience the zoo,” said Dwight Lawson, the Oklahoma City Zoo’s executive director/CEO.
The discount offer applies to daily general admission to the Oklahoma City Zoo and will end Aug. 31. The discount is limited to in-person ticket purchases only and must be used only on the day of purchase. The discount is limited to four total guests per day, per cardholder. Children 2 and younger are always admitted free. Additional zoo discounts and coupon vouchers cannot be combined with the offer.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City Zoo's Sumatran tiger is expecting
