Happy 4th Birthday, Daseep!
DZG’s big cat keepers know the way to a birthday Sumatran tiger’s heart a huge jar of Marmite!
We’re celebrating Daseep’s fourth birthday today and what better way to mark the occasion than with her favourite malt flavoured treat!
Senior Keeper, Adam Walker, delivered her present and card first thing this morning, which judging by the size of the jar, should keep her going for quite a few weeks!
Adam, pictured above, said: “Daseep loves the taste of Marmite. We regularly use it as an enrichment activity for her as it has such a strong scent, so by spreading it on her climbing frame and on food around her enclosure she has to sniff it out before she’s able to lick it up, or we just give it to her as a special treat now and again.
“And as Joao’s not keen on the taste, it means she gets to have it all to herself.”
It’s been a busy 12 months for our gorgeous girl.
Back in November she parted from Amur tiger, Tschuna, who she’d grown up with since they were young cubs, before we welcomed our handsome boy, Joao, to DZG as they were paired as part of an international breeding programme.
And the world’s eyes and Midland TV crews were on Daseep in July as she was chosen as the poster girl of 21st Century Tiger’s Global Tiger Day campaign, as she helped raise awareness for the magnificent, but critically endangered big cat species out in the wild.
Adam added: “I think we’ve all got a soft spot for Daseep, so she’ll be in line for some extra treats throughout the day. She’s such a lovely tiger to work with and we’re very lucky to have her here at DZG.”
Hear more about Daseep and Joao by joining our Presenters for the daily Tiger Talk at 12.30pm at the Tiger’s Tecton enclosure.
