Week 241 (4 - 10 April 2008)

Exciting tiger incidents

An incident happened on Thursday which involved Cathay and her cubs. When Cathay wanted to go out of the breeding center, the calling of the cubs made her turn back several times. Cathay looked a bit weary. When Li and a journalist came into the breeding center to watch Cathay and her cubs, Cathay took both of the cubs into the quarantine camp. She picked up one of the two and began to pace along the fence in the quarantine camp. Obviously, she wanted to find a safer place. Because she could only hold one cub in her mouth, she came back to the other cub occasionally and licked it. As it became darker and darker, Cathay became more and more anxious. The sliding gate on the other side of the breeding center was opened and it was hoped that Cathay would come through. Eventually, as suggested by Li, the vehicle lights were turned on to shine into the quarantine camp, hoping that this will give Cathay a feeling that the breeding center was safer. After more than an hour Cathay finally entered the breeding center. However, one cub was still lying in the quarantine camp and a clean towel was used to carefully pick it up. The cub was put back into the box in which Cathay had given birth. But since Cathay had already decided that the original breeding box was no longer safe, she immediately took the cub out and put it with the other cub in the breeding box in the outdoor cage of the breeding center. Fortunately, Cathay continued looking after her cubs although she had stopped using the original box.

The large garage doors of the breeding center were closed to reduce human disturbance. At noon on Friday, Cathay was seen pacing in the outdoor cage of the breeding center with a cub in her mouth, which meant she still wanted to look for a better place for her cubs. Dried grass was put into the breeding box in the inner cage on the right side of the breeding center and all sliding gates between cages were left open. As expected, Cathay and her cubs were in the found in this breeding box the next day. Cathay continued to look after the cubs for the rest of the week.

Madonna was still not comfortable with the maternity box in the small camp. She spent most of her time pacing along the fence of the 9 ha camp or lying far a way from the box. During every feed, meat was put into both boxes, but Madonna preferred to take meat from the box in the right section of the small camp. Though her expected date of giving birth had already arrived, no obvious sign were seen. She was often seen climbing into the pepper tree or catching birds.

This week, 327 was allowed to enter the 4 ha camp. He immediately became a fan of TigerWoods who was recently moved into the 40 ha camp. Every morning and afternoon, he was seen pacing with TigerWoods and chuffing at him all the time to show his friendship. To the contrary, TigerWoods looked so angry with this strange guy. He stared at him all the time during pacing and looked as if he was looking forward to a good fight.