The tigers are solitary animals, so they only congregate when hunting large prey or mating. When Amur tigers, Dominka and Botzman, snuggled and rolled in the snow in the Highland Wildlife Park (Scotland), a romance scene was enacted.
This 30-second video shows Dominika rolling on her back in the snow as she walked with Botzman. It was a sign of love as well as calling and scent marking.
Botzman, who enrolled in the park in October 2020, was introduced to Dominika, born in May 2020. In late January 2021, the pair met for the first time and formed an immediate bond.
Highland Wildlife Park shared their video of Botzman and Dominika on Twitter on February 1st, 2021 with the caption: “Our Amur tigers.” It is safe to say, so far, they are kittens smitten with each other.
The zoo watched the pair closely the next day to make sure they remained together. There was a hope that two Amur tigers would have babies.
As part of the European endangered species breeding program, the wildlife conservation charity is encouraged by how well the new couple is doing so far and hopes they will have cubs in the future.
With only fewer than 4,000 wild Amur Tigers left, it is an endangered species. The vast decline of these animals can be attributed mainly to hunting and deforestation. Usually, an Amur tiger female gives birth to 2 to 6 cubs in a litter. It is their mother’s responsibility to feed and protect them for the first 18 months of their lives, and they stay with her until they are 2 or 3 years old.