Rare Siberian Tiger Arrives at Beardsley Zoo

BRIDGEPORT, CT — One of the less than 500 Amur, or Siberian, tigers on the planet can be seen in Bridgeport at the Beardsley Zoo, the zoo announced on April 11. The zoo welcomed 10-year-old female Changbai from the Philadelphia zoo three months ago. She is now on exhibit following her quarantine period.

The zoo says the three-month period was devoted to making Changbai feel welcome in her new home. You can see Changbai between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily in the Predator area near the Cafe.To sign up for Bridgeport breaking news alerts and more, click here.

“Chang is a beautiful tiger and is getting along very nicely with our Zoo staff, and with Petya,” explained Gregg Dancho, zoo director in a statement. “We gave her ample time to become comfortable with her new surroundings, and now she’s very much at home in her exhibit.”

Amur tigers are critically endangered in the wild. The Association of Zoos and Acquariums' statistics show the tigers occupy less than seven percent of their original range. Chang was sent to the Beardsley Zoo as an excellent genetic to the zoo's male tiger Petya, according to the announcement.

Male tigers can weigh up to 675 pounds, with females weighing up to 350 pounds, according to the zoo. The zoo says tigers can live for 10 to 15 years in the wild and up to 22 years in captivity.