There's a new addition at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, and he sure is majestic. Thimbu, pronounced Tim-boo, is a 9-year-old male Amur tiger that is brand-new to the Syracuse zoo.

"Thim" came from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs on December 4 as part of the Species Survival Plan for Amur tigers. The species is currently critically endangered in Far East Russia. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo was home to Amur tigers Toma and Tatiana, but they passed away at nearly 20 years old this past fall.

“Prior to the passing of Toma and Tatiana, we were in conversation with the Amur tiger SSP to request a breeding pair of Amur tigers, and that is how Thimbu came to us,” Rosamond Gifford Zoo's Director Ted Fox said in a press release. “We will be welcoming a female to introduce him to in the near future.”

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The zoo hopes to produce cubs and help boost the species' population.

“I am thrilled to be here to welcome this amazing animal and acknowledge the important role of our zoo in working to save his species,” County Executive Ryan McMahon said in a press release. “Once again, our zoo is entrusted with an animal and a mission that few other zoos are able to take on.”

Terri Redhead
Terri Redhead
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Thim is now on exhibit, so you can go visit him throughout the winter. According to a press release, he's a very big cat, weighing in at 450 pounds, and oddly enough, he loves the smells of Prada perfume and freshly-brewed coffee.

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