By Yul
Zookeepers are saying that Nikki, a 370-lb. male Amur tiger at the Erie (Pa.) Zoo, is “too shy” to explore a new $500,000 love nest they’ve constructed. I think he’s just trying to avoid another tiger who’s really a “Cougar.”
Nikki asks, "Where's that old bat?" (Photo - Sarah Priestap, Erie Times-News/AP)
For the past 2 months, 5-year-old Nikki has been frustrating zoo visitors by only poking out his head occasionally in his new digs.
When he agreed to give up his swinging bachelor pad at the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago to relocate to Pennsylvania, he probably had no idea they were scheming to mate him with Anna, a 300-lb., 10-year-old, single mother of 3 who left the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Conn., for the chance to hook up with a young stud like Nikki.
Anna the "Cougar" (Photo - Ryan Randolph, Erie Times-News)
She could be his great-great-great-great-grandmother.
Nikki’s understandably upset about the whole May-December thing and has refused to even meet Anna. During her solitary visits to the new enclosure, the humans are encouraging Anna to leave her scent all over the place, which features high grass, ideal for amorous trysts, a pool, and a romantic waterfall. They’re hoping Nikki will eventually be overcome by lust and join her there.
Nikki, I say stick to your guns and hold out until they provide you a shapely lioness who won’t be putting her teeth in a glass every night.
Out in the wild, you can bet the last thing Nikki would want to become is some old Cougar’s gigolo, so that lifestyle shouldn’t be forced on him in captivity.
August 20, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Fred and Yul,
Alice is very appreciative of the tiger updates (I read them to her — she’s not quite as literate as you guys). But as an eight-year-old, she’s a little hurt by Yul’s attitude toward the older woman. Alice thinks that Nikki may miss the Chicago area, and he’s just not feeling romantic. She suggests sending him a Chicago hot dog or an Italian beef sandwich to remind him of home.
August 20, 2008 at 12:51 pm
There is a certain fascination with big cats here at Cats Working. We all thought that Yul was a bit hard on Anna, especially since Yul is 12 years old himself. It’s been a long time since he’s turned any kittens’ heads.
It might be just the thing to give Nikki some good Chicago take-out to cheer him up. He’s probably getting tired of Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches.
The other reason he may be reluctant to come out is that he heard what happened to the late Tatiana in San Francisco. He may not want to take his chances that any thugs will stop by to give him a hard time.