WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Palm Beach Zoo is marking International Tiger Day on June 29 with a spotlight on one of its most remarkable residents — and a conservation story that spans the globe.
Kadar, a 17-year-old male Malayan tiger at the zoo, enjoyed a special enrichment treat during the celebration: meat sandwiched between two frozen blocks of goat milk, a favorite on hot days.
Mike Terrell, director of wildlife conservation impact at Palm Beach Zoo, said the treat is part of a broader commitment to animal well-being.
"The entire habitat, all of the food, and even the learning and training that we do with our animals is all to make sure that every day is their best day ever," Terrell said.
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Malayan tigers are apex predators, meaning nothing in the wild hunts them. Terrell said that status makes them critical to their ecosystems.
"They serve a really important role in the environment," Terrell said. "They keep everything else in balance."
Kadar came to the Palm Beach Zoo from another zoo and is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, a program designed to ensure the long-term survival of species like the Malayan tiger.
In 2020, Kadar fathered 3 cubs at the Palm Beach Zoo. Those cubs have since moved to other zoos to start families of their own. That success caught international attention.
"We were actually contacted by the Malayan government to advise them on how to breed tigers under human care," Terrell said.
Terrell said the Malaysian government has tigers that were injured by snares and cannot be released back into the wild, but are otherwise healthy. Officials traveled to the Palm Beach Zoo to learn from its animal care specialists, with the goal of eventually releasing captive-born cubs back into Malaysian forests.
Beyond the zoo's direct conservation work, Terrell said there are simple steps anyone can take at home to help protect wild tigers.
"Using recycled content paper and recycled content toilet paper helps preserve the forests that these guys live in in the wild," Terrell said.
Visiting the zoo also supports conservation efforts, Terrell said, because of the work the zoo does with the Malaysian government.
Terrell also shared some lesser-known facts about tigers. Their iconic stripes are not just on their fur — the pattern exists on their skin as well, meaning a shaved tiger would still show its stripes. Tigers also have distinctive spots on the backs of their ears, which Terrell said are believed to function as false eyes.
"When they have their back turned, they have those eye spots. Makes another animal think, oh, the tiger's still looking," Terrell said.
