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Title: Roaring Success - 350 Surviving Tigers Author: Yorkshire Wildlife Park  ID & Publication: 20120911035 ~ The-Villager.co.uk  Area: Branton  Subject: Environment

A ROARING time is expected this Sunday, 30th September, as award winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster celebrates International Tiger & Leopard Day.

The walk through park is at the forefront of conservation and has a rare collection of Amur Tigers and Leopards.
The celebration will include special feeding and education sessions with the tigers as well as fundraising for the charities, helping to fight to save these magnificent animals in the wild

And to commemorate the day and highlight the plight of the 350 surviving tigers in the world YWP have taken an iconic photo with a visitor for each surviving tiger putting on a mask in a huge group photo.

YWP’s Cheryl Williams said: ‘After the success of last year with so many people turning up to help raise not only funds but also helping to raise awareness about all the good working going on, we hope that this year will be even bigger and better. It is such a fantastic cause that we are proud to support.’

During the day there will be special enrichment activities with education talks at 12.30 and 4pm. At the first session, meat will be hidden around the reserve and visitors will be able to watch the Tigers hunt the food down.

Later, at 4pm, Amur tiger Vladimir will have the chance to play with the giant Boomer Ball in his pool.
Vlad and Sayan, live in the Land of the Tigers, the first reserve of its kind in Europe, allowing visitors to view them from a 150m walkway. They are part of the European Tiger Breeding Programme, which aims to stop extinction of the endangered species. As well as the tigers YWP is also home to endangered Amur Leopards. Threatened by habitat loss and poachers, this species is critically endangered with fewer than 400 animals thought still to survive in the wild.

YWP, which has conservation at the heart of all its activities, created an innovative ‘Leopard Heights’, which is the world’s largest and most spectacular leopard enclosure. Home to the Amur Leopards - the most endangered big cat on the planet with only 35 believed to live in the wild, it is a unique design with a massive climbing frame for the cats, an 8 meter tall viewing tower and 10-metre long glass viewing window.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park gives guests the unique opportunity to get up close to some of the most beautiful and endangered animals on earth, and is Yorkshire’s acclaimed and fastest growing tourist attraction.

Money raised on Sunday will go to ALTA (The Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance and Wildlife Vets International for their project for Amur Tigers.

For more information go to www.yorkshirewildlifepark.com / 01302 535 057, Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Brockholes Lane, Branton DN3 3NH.

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