SEATTLE -- A loud whistle brings three Malayan tigers out of hiding and over to lead zookeeper Christine Anne. She then makes a clicking sound. The noise prompts the big cats to stand on their hind legs. It gives Anne and visitors to Woodland Park Zoo a good look at Eko, Liem and Olan.
It's not a show of tiger tricks, but a training demonstration that doubles as a quick check-up.
Anne said, "The behaviors that we work are behaviors that they would normally do on their own anyway. Standing up is something a tiger would do in the wild to mark on a tree. It's an excellent behavior for us to observe their whole bodies and to see parts of their bodies that we otherwise don't see because they are on all fours."
The big cats mark the return of tigers to Woodland Park Zoo. They arrived from Arkansas. That's where the brothers were born. As the cubs played together at the Little Rock Zoo, Seattle was putting the final touches on their new home in the 2-acre Banyan Wilds Exhibit. It opened last spring and includes a pool, wooded back yard and a huge tree for sharpening claws.
Now one and a half years old, the tigers will do almost anything Christine asks especially when their reward is a squirt of milk.
"We use milk because they won't fight over it. If we used meat all three would start to get aggressive and angry", said Anne.
She also explained how the disposition of the brothers will change when they are old enough to mate and help save their species from extinction.
"They won't tolerate the presence of another tiger. So, right now they're friendly, they're compatible, they like being around each other, but once those hormones kick in , and there's a female present, those behaviors will start to change."
Eventually the tiger brothers will have to be separated, but, that won't happen until their show of brotherly love is over.
You can watch the tigers go through their training everyday except Tuesday at the Woodland Park Zoo's Banyan Wilds Exhibit. For more information, click here.
