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Animals enjoy Valentine’s treats at safari park

Tigers and lemurs were treated to some enrichment.

Lucinda Cameron
Sunday 12 February 2023 10:10 GMT
Amur tiger Hope enjoyed a heart shaped ice lolly (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Amur tiger Hope enjoyed a heart shaped ice lolly (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

Amur tigers at a safari park have been enjoying some heart-shaped treats ahead of Valentine’s Day.

Hope and Vitali shared a heart-shaped ice sculpture which was hung from a tree in their outdoor habitat at Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, near Stirling.

Classed as endangered, the Amur or Siberian tiger is found in certain areas of China and the Russian Far East.

Female tiger Hope and male Vitali enjoyed the treats at the safari park ahead of Valentine’s Day on February 14.

Big Cat keeper Brian Reid said: “Naturally, this lolly is not the same as the sugary desserts that humans love.

“Instead, it was made from blood, meat offcuts, and fish.

“Not only is this a tasty snack for the tigers, but it also acts as an effective form of enrichment, stimulating and encouraging natural behaviours from our animals.”

Elsewhere in the park a red-ruffed lemur family enjoyed nibbling on some traditional red roses.

The breeding group is described as one of the park’s biggest success stories as red-ruffed lemurs are critically endangered in the wild.

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