On Wednesday, a special coincidence took place as International Tiger Day was marked alongside Tu B'Av, the Jewish holiday of love. The international day aims to raise awareness about the plight of the tiger, one of the most critically endangered animals in the world.
Right on cue, the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem, known as the Biblical Zoo, recorded a joyful development: Rimba and Jakarta, a pair of Sumatran tigers participating in an international breeding program, recently began living together after many long months of cautious and gradual introduction.
Rimba, a three-year-old Sumatran tiger who arrived in Jerusalem from the Frankfurt Zoo last October, was brought specifically as a mate for Jakarta, seven, who has lived at the zoo since arriving from Athens about five years ago. Because tigers are solitary animals by nature, the team of caretakers chose not to rush, allowing the two to get to know each other gradually.
The courtship period included a series of "dates" through the fence, during which they sniffed each other, walked alongside one another on opposite sides of the enclosure, and displayed mutual curiosity. Over time, the encounters grew longer, calmer, and friendlier, until the decision was made about two weeks ago to unite them.
Since then, according to zoo staff, the two have rarely been apart, spend much of their time nuzzling, and display behavior reminiscent of a newly smitten couple.
Beyond the romantic story, the new partnership carries significant importance for the preservation of the species. Rimba and Jakarta are part of a breeding program run by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), which aims to increase the population of the Sumatran tiger, a rare species with only hundreds of individuals remaining in the wild on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.
Zoo officials hope that in the future, the pair will have cubs, which will then be transferred to other zoos around the world as part of an international effort to preserve the bloodline and help ensure the future of one of the world's most critically endangered animals.