Baginda the Sumatran tiger celebrates her tenth birthday at Edinburgh Zoo.
A Sumatran tiger at a city zoo devoured her lunchtime feed as keepers prepare to celebrate her tenth birthday.
A leg of red meat was hung from a tree for Baginda to find and enjoy.
It is the animal’s second birthday at Edinburgh Zoo, arriving in May 2011 from Benidorm Zoo in Spain as a potential mate for Tibor, a five-year-old male.
Alison MacLean, head keeper of giant pandas and carnivores, said: “We have arranged birthday enrichment to mark this special occasion tomorrow, which provides her with both mental and physical stimulation as well as providing visitors with the opportunity to see her exercise natural behaviours.
“She has a very feisty, confident personality so I don’t expect her enrichment to last very long.”
Sumatran tigers are a critically endangered species, with as few as 300 left in the wild. They are the smallest subspecies of tiger, with narrower stripes and darker golden colouring than the others.
After a slow introduction process, Baginda and Tibor have been in the same enclosure for six months, separated only during feeding times.
Zoo staff said Baginda has accepted Tibor and hope for successful mating in the future.
