The Courier has teamed up with Blair Drummond Safari Park to offer readers the chance to win a family pass for two adults and two children each week - and learn a bit more about their residents at the same time.
This week, the park is celebrating the fifth birthday of its male Amur tiger Vitali.
Communications and conservation manager for the park, Jamie-Leigh Green, said: “Vitali came to us in 2019 from Hagenbeck Zoo in Germany. He is companion to our female tiger Hope who joined us in 2018 from Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
“Vitali is very relaxed and chilled out, especially for a tiger of his age.
“He looks fluffier around the neck than Hope and his face markings are not symmetrical, he has an extra dot above one eye.
“He also weighs about 50kg more than Hope (coming in at around 180kg), so there is a noticeable size difference between the two.
“Amur tigers are also known as Siberian tigers, and they are the biggest subspecies of tiger. They can generally be found in the Far East of Russia, as well as a small number in China and North Korea.
“Amur tigers are lighter in colour than other tiger subspecies and their coat is thicker and longer to help them deal with the colder climates of their native habitat.
“Tigers use their famous striped coats as camouflage when they hunt and prefer to stalk and sneak up on their prey.
“The stripes break up the tiger’s shape and size helping it to blend in with trees and shrubbery.
“Because of this stealthy way of hunting, a group of tigers is known as an ‘ambush’.
“Unfortunately, Amur tigers are an endangered species and there are estimated to only be around 550 of them left in the wild.
“However, this marks a big improvement in their status, as in the 1940s they were on the brink of extinction with only about 50 individuals.
“Their numbers are stable now for the first time in a very long time, in part thanks to Russia becoming the first country in the world to grant tigers full conservation protection.”
Blair Drummond Safari Park is open seven days a week, from 10am until 5.30pm. Tickets can be booked online at blairdrummond.com.
For a chance to win a family pass, which can be used any one day during the park’s opening season this year, pick up a copy of this week's paper.
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