Pt. Defiance Zoo Welcomes New Tiger - But You Can't See Him Yet

TACOMA, WA - A 12-year-old, 240-pound, male Sumatran tiger arrived at the Point Defiance zoo Wednesday - but it'll be a while before you can see him in person.

Mohan is the fifth Sumatran tiger at the zoo, but he'll be out of sight until he acclimates to his new surroundings, the zoo is saying. That could take a few weeks.

Only about 300 Sumatran tigers exist in the wild, and so Mohan's presence at the zoo is more than just for public interest.

Mohan will hopefully breed with Kali, a 3-year-old Sumatran tiger living at the zoo. Both tigers suffer from behavioral problems, so they won't mate naturally, the zoo said. Kali was hand-raised by humans and doesn't know how to properly act around other tigers. Mohan has aggression issues, the zoo said in a release.

But if all goes according to plan, the zoo might welcome a Sumatran tiger cub or three in 2017. Insemination is likely "many months away," the zoo said, but Sumatran tigers only gestate for about 3-1/2 months.

Aside from Mohan and Kali, the zoo has 4-year-old Dumai, and Dari and Kirana, both 2. When Mohan is finally ready for his debut, you can catch him at the Point Defiance Zoo's Asian Forest Sanctuary.

Image via Point Defiance Zoo