2 Big Cats Join Philadelphia Zoo Family

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Zoo welcomed two new big cats to its family.

Female Amur tiger Rory and male Amur leopard Rafferty both arrived at the zoo in early summer and are visible to guests inside their habitats at Big Cat Falls.

Rory came to the zoo on an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) breeding recommendation with one of the zoo’s brothers, Wiz and Dimitri.

Rafferty has been paired with Kira through the same program.

The goal of the SSP is to manage populations of threatened, endangered and other species across AZA institutions to maintain long-term genetic and demographic viability to protect species from extinction.

Amur tigers are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with an estimated wild population of less than 500. Amur leopards are listed as critically endangered by the IUCN with an estimated population of less than 150.

The main threats for both these species, that share most of the same geographic area in the Amur River Valley in Russia, includes habitat loss and poaching.

"As a facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, one of our most important roles is to protect endangered species from extinction," Vice President of Animal Wellbeing and Conservation Rachel Metz said. "We are excited to welcome these two beautiful big cats to their new home and are equally excited for our guests to meet them. Our animal care professionals are diligently working to get to know the cats and their personalities, and are also closely monitoring for signs the cats are ready to be introduced to their mates. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we will welcome cubs in the coming years."

"Our big cat team has already fallen in love with both Rory and Rafferty," Assistant Director of Carnivores Jackie Stone said. "Rory has very expressive ears and loves playing with the different enrichment items, from toys covered in scents to ice treats. Rafferty is a curious cat that enjoys interacting with his keepers during training sessions."

The Philadelphia Zoo has previously had success breeding these two endangered species. In 2017, Amur tiger Koosaka gave birth to cub Zoya, who later went on to live at the Oklahoma City Zoo and has since had two litters of her own at Roosevelt Park Zoo in North Dakota. The zoo has also welcomed two female Amur leopard cubs born, one in 2000 and again in 2002.

With the addition of 4-year-old Rory, the zoo now has four Amur tigers: 13-year-old brothers Wiz and Dimitri and 18-year-old female Koosaka. With the addition of 8-year-old Rafferty, the Zoo has two Amur leopards that include him and 11-year-old female Kira. All the cats, including snow leopards Yuki and Marcy, African lions Makini and Tajiri, and puma siblings Elbroch and Olympia, rotate through the different habitats inside Big Cat Falls and the Big Cat Crossing Zoo360 trail; different animals are visible to guests depending on the day they visit. Guests are encouraged to look for activations schedule as the enter Big Cat Falls to see times for daily feedings or training sessions.

Rory was born July 20, 2021, at Toledo Zoo. The public voted to choose her name, and donations to name her and her twin Alexei went to tiger conservation efforts. At four years old, she is considered fully grown, but will likely fill out a bit more. She weighs almost 300 pounds and also has longer whiskers than any other tiger at the Zoo.

Rafferty was born at Utah's Hogle Zoo February 17, 2017. His name means "one who possesses prosperity." He previously sired offspring at Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York in 2019 which is where he was before coming to Philadelphia Zoo. He has two different colored eyes that the veterinary team is monitoring to ensure his health.