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Amur the tiger relocates, parts with friend Timur the goat

Amur the tiger and Timur the goat soared into limelight in 2015

VLADIVOSTOK, January 22. /TASS/. Amur the tiger, famous for his friendship with Timur the goat, currently living at the Safari Park in Russia’s Primorsky Region, will soon be relocated to the Tiger Park in Krasnodar Region, leaving behind his goat friend, the Safari Park press service informed on Tuesday.

Amur the tiger was born in captivity, the press service informed, adding that during his life in the Primorsky Region, he mated with Ussuri the tigress, who gave birth to a tiger cub by the name of Sherkhan.

"The ministry [of investment, land and property policy of the Khabarovsk Region - TASS] has insisted on excluding Amur the tiger from the Eurasian Association of Zoos on conservation and reproduction of Amur tigers. The ministry agreed to transfer Amur the tiger to the non-commercial partnership "Tiger Park" in the Krasnodar Region, the Dinskaya Stanitsa," the message informs.

At the same time, the management of the Safari Park finds it necessary for Timur the goat to remain in the Primorsky Region. The director of the Safari Park Dmitry Mezentsev claimed that if Amur moved away, a pair of mating tigers would be broken, which can be detrimental to the tiger population and can be considered animal abuse.

Amur the tiger and Timur the goat soared into limelight in 2015. Tigers in the Primorsky safari park are usually given live prey twice a week so that they could preserve their hunting instinct. Thus, Amur had an opportunity to hunt goats and rabbits. In the autumn of 2015, a goat named Timur not only challenged the tiger but also attacked him which led the tiger to accepting him as his leader and start to follow him everywhere.

However, Amur and Timur were separated after the tiger wounded the goat who had been disturbing him by poking at him with his horns. Timur was sent away for medical treatment and later put in a separate enclosure.

The story of their friendship between Amur and Timur made the Primorsky safari park internationally famous.

It has been declared one of the major regional tourist attractions.