From Russia with......?

A tiger in Scotland...OK I know the world is changing fast but surely not that fast?
Well this Amur tiger from Russia lives in the Blair Drummond safari park, about twenty minutes down the road.


Did you know that the tiger is the only member of the cat family that likes to swim?

This one enjoyed a dip - thanks to yesterday's rain which filled up his pool.
I like to visit the park from time to time because it presents great photo opportunities.

The Amur tiger, also known as the Siberian, Korean or Manchurian, is a solitary animal that lives for 10-15 years in the wild and 20-25 in captivity.

It is the largest and heaviest living cat in the world and in 1940 there were only 50 left now thanks to conservation legislation in Russia 400-500 are living in wild.

The park has installed a number of viewing platforms, which makes photography so much easier than trying to film through wire mesh.

New in the park this summer is a baby rhino and seven month old bear cub.

More pix in blipfolio Safari park.