New male Amur tiger arrives at Buffalo Zoo
The Buffalo Zoo is excited to announce the arrival of a new male Amur tiger named Sungari, who comes to Buffalo on a Species Survival Plan recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Sungari is just under 1.5 years old and arrived in Western New York from the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri, where he was born on Nov. 13, 2023. He is named after the Sungari River in northeast China, an area where Amur tigers are native to in the wild.
He is also the first male tiger to reside at the Buffalo Zoo since 2011.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Sungari to the Buffalo Zoo family,” said Buffalo Zoo President & CEO Lisa Smith. “He’s a stunning young tiger with a charming personality, and we’re already seeing him develop a strong bond with his keepers. We’re confident our visitors will fall in love with him just as quickly as we have.”
Sungari has a laid back personality and is a bit chatty, as he can be heard vocalizing occasionally while he’s out on exhibit. He continues to explore his new habitat, and seems to enjoy hanging out on the bench near the EcoStation window. He’s also quite curious, often peering at visitors as they walk by.
There are plans to bring another female Amur tiger to the Buffalo Zoo to breed with Sungari in the future, but there is no immediate timeline for an arrival. Zhanna, the Zoo’s 16-year-old female Amur tiger, still resides in Buffalo.
Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are listed as endangered in the wild by the IUCN Red List. It was estimated in 2022 that around 350 remain in the species’ native habitat, the forests of the Russian Far East and northeast China. Due to its native habitat, the Amur tiger is the only subspecies that has adapted to live in cold, northern climates.
Our new tiger’s arrival is a reflection of the Buffalo Zoo’s longstanding commitment to our conservation mission, and ensuring a future where wildlife thrives.
Sungari will be on exhibit all weekend for visitors to welcome him to Buffalo! After that, he will be rotating regularly on exhibit with Zhanna.
