Cat Canyon Opens to Public on Saturday, June 30

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Zoo & the Cincinnati Bengals team up for conservation this season in celebration of the Zoo’s newest exhibit, Cat Canyon, opening June 30. Bengals season ticket holders and Zoo fans were each given the opportunity to name the Zoo’s new Malayan tigers as part of a partnership to support big cat conservation. The two five-year-old male bothers were named “Taj” by Zoo supporters and “Who Dey” by Bengals fans.

Now, you can A.D.O.P.T. (Animals Depend on People Too) Taj and Who Dey. This special $65 A.D.O.P.T. helps to provide food, toys and fun enrichment items for the Zoo’s tigers. The package includes a custom certificate, tiger fact sheet, tiger plush toy and a Cincinnati Bengals decal. Plus, everyone who purchases the Cat Canyon A.D.O.P.T. is automatically eligible to win an exclusive Cincinnati Bengals Experience. (Offer valid through August 31, 2012.) The Bengals Experience package includes an exclusive tour of Paul Brown Stadium for four people, a Bengals merchandise prize pack, one autographed football, a table for four a Bengals Line at the Holy Grail and an exclusive meet and greet with the hosts and guests of the show.

“The Cincinnati Zoo has always been invested in big cat education and conservation,” said Thane Maynard, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. “But now, with this beautiful new exhibit that showcases their natural ability and through the support of our hometown Cincinnati Bengals, we’re able to reach a broader audience and really address the challenges facing big cat populations throughout the world while educating our visitors and giving them tangible opportunities to make a difference at home and abroad.”

The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to 11 feet and weighing up to 670 pounds. They are the third largest land carnivore, behind only the polar bear and the brown bear. While Tigers once ranged widely across Asia, over the past 100 years, they have lost 93% of their historic range. The remaining six tiger subspecies have been classified as endangered. The global population in the wild is estimated to number between 3,062 to 3,948 individuals, with most remaining populations occurring in small pockets that are isolated from each other. Major reasons for population decline include habitat destruction, fragmentation and poaching.