Dubai: Two tigers kept in a glass cage inside Dubailand have been shifted back to Dubai Zoo.
The big cats, often referred to in the media as "Tatweer Two", created a sensation after animal rights activists said the glass cage that housed them behind the reception area of Dubailand Visitors Centre was not right for the felines.
The Bengal tigers were moved back to the zoo on November 23, after being kept for around three years in Dubailand, a massive theme park whose construction has been delayed, Dr Reza Khan, Specialist, Public Parks and Horticulture Department, Dubai Municipality, said. The two were taken back to the zoo on Jumeirah Road to enable them to mate with the lone tigress, he added.
Space problem
"Space has been an issue with the zoo. Dubailand has a bigger and better place than ours, but the tigers have been brought to the zoo on a temporary basis," said Dr Khan. Zoo officials suspect that Bozo, the only male tiger left with the tigress for four years, is infertile.
"Five tigers were born in captivity around eight years ago… but their addition did not lead to a bigger space. We can try for the breeding again," Dr Khan said, adding that they will tackle the space issue when the need arises.
First built in 1967 by a Dubai resident, the zoo is the oldest of its kind in the Arabian Peninsula and houses around 900 animals — down from around 1,800 at its peak in 1997, Dr Khan said.
He added it may take them a month to find out if the tigress will have a baby. Visitors can now see these magnificent beasts at the zoo, which incidentally also happens to be one of the smallest city zoos in the world.
With inputs from Michelle Sutton, a Freelance journalist
