The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has announced that it will receive its largest ever single donation – $9 million – for a new Tiger Trail exhibit. The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, put one condition on the gift – the Safari Park has to raise an additional $2 million for the new exhibit. Prior to this donor challenge, the Safari Park raised $8 million for the Tiger Trail exhibit, which is expected to cost $19 million to build.
The Tiger Trail exhibit will be a forested world that will feature three distinctive tiger habitats for the park’s Sumatran tigers. The habitats will have rocks for climbing, ponds for swimming, deadwood trees to use as scratching posts and long grasses for catnapping. The habitat will include numerous viewing areas for guests to get up close and see these beautiful creatures.
There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers in the wild and that number continues to drop. Scientists estimate that this species could be extinct in its native Sumatra by 2020 unless drastic measures are taken to protect and preserve it. The Safari Park is currently home to seven Sumatran tigers, but 23 have been born here. To learn more about the new Tiger Trail exhibit or to donate visit tigermatch.org.
