SALT LAKE CITY — There's a new cat prowling around the neighborhood in Salt Lake City's Hogle Zoo.
Guests at the zoo got their first glimpse this week of Maxim, a 14-year-old male Amur tiger that moved in from the Midwest.
Maxim came to Utah from the Saint Louis Zoo as a breeding recommendation for Hogle Zoo's resident female tiger, Sasha. The Amur Tiger Species Survival Program helps maintain a "genetically diverse population," according to the zoo.
Amur tigers are considered to be endangered and are usually found in the forests and mountains of far eastern Russia and northeast China.
“Max tends to be a very laid-back and good-natured tiger. He’s been enjoying time in the water, a good cardboard box (or any enrichment he can shred), and other enrichment toys like large tiger-sized boomer balls," said Asian Highlands Supervisor Brittany Dowdell.
Maxim and Sasha will gradually get to become accustomed to each other as he grows comfortable in his new home in a controlled setting. During this process, the tigers may see each other through a mesh fence.
In the future, zoo officials will monitor the behavior of the tigers, which will indicate whether they are ready to be introduced into the same environment.
