Tallinn Zoo Gets 2 Rare Fishing Cats
Tallinn Zoo, which is celebrating its 72nd birthday on August 25, has acquired two rare fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) to their feline collection.
The male fishing cat Otto has already arrived at the zoo, spokesman Inari Leiman told uudised.err.ee. "He arrived from England a few weeks ago, but his partner is still expected to arrive," said Leiman, adding that he did not know yet the exact location from where the female feline would be shipped.
According to Leiman, the zoo has had fishing cats on its collection before, but has not been able to find suitable partners, therefore their previous cat died of old age without bearing any offspring. Hopefully, the two new animals will be a match, Leiman said.
John Meek, animal collection manager at Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, the former home of Otto, told BBC: "It is so important for this species that zoos manage to breed their population."
In the wild the fishing cat can be found from Northern India to Sri Lanka, Burma and across the Malay peninsula to Java and Sumatra. In 2008, these medium-sized felines were classified as an endangered species as much of their wetland habitats in Asia are being increasingly settled and degraded by humans.
Ingrid Teesalu