The Big Cat Sanctuary is delighted to announce the arrival of Luca, a magnificent Amur tiger. Luca, who previously resided at Africa Alive, successfully joined us on Thursday 13th July. We are thrilled to have Luca in our care and we are confident that he will thrive in his new home.
Luca was born on 7th October 2021, to parents Kuzma and Mishka, alongside his sister named Kira. Although Luca has only been at the Sanctuary for a few days, we are already starting to see his playful personality. We are sure he will be a delight to have at the Sanctuary.
Amur tigers are an endangered species native to the Russian Far East and Northeast China. Their population has been rapidly declining due to habitat loss and poaching. The Big Cat Sanctuary, committed to the conservation and protection of these magnificent creatures, provides a safe and enriched environment for Amur tigers like Luca to live out their lives in peace.
Luca’s arrival marks a significant milestone in our ongoing mission to protect and preserve endangered big cats. Our dedicated team has been eagerly preparing for his arrival with renovations of Luca’s enclosure. He will be located at the front of the Sanctuary, where Maya the jaguar used to reside.
Luca’s journey was seamless and after a three-hour journey from Africa Alive, he was taken to his new enclosure and safely let into his new house. He was then left indoors to acclimatise to his new surroundings, then given full access to his outdoor area on Friday morning. Since then, Luca has spent lots of time outside and has been exploring his new environment and settling in well.
“We are thrilled to welcome Luca to The Big Cat Sanctuary,” said Briony Smith, Curator at the Sanctuary. “Luca is a beautiful tiger and we are committed to providing him with the best possible care and the team will do everything to help him transition into his new home.”
We will be sharing many updates about Luca on our website and social media platforms. Luca can be seen at The Big Cat Sanctuary’s Open Days which run from the 26th-30th July 2023. The Open Days are the Sanctuary’s biggest fundraiser of the year, raising vital funds which go towards the care of our big and small cats as well as supporting front-line conservation initiatives which protect some of the world’s most endangered species.