Our commitment to tigers
Project: Our commitment to tigers
Gut Aiderbichl receives calls for help every day, but the fact that five Bengal tigers are among the animals in need is unique in the history of the animal welfare organisation. Sandy, Floy, Tango, Roxy and Sonja were hand-reared by tamer Markus and were part of the Moscow circus. Unfortunately, the circus fell victim to the Russia-Ukraine war because of its name, and the visitors stayed away. An additional stroke of fate in the form of a heart attack and the coronavirus pandemic meant financial ruin. But what to do with the majestic animals?
Our project at a glance
Our commitment to tigers
Initial situation:
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- Financial and health problems put 5 circus tigers in need
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- The species-appropriate keeping of the big cats requires special safety measures and trained staff. This makes taking in the animals a problem for many organisations.</li
- The tiger is one of the most endangered animal species in the world.
Target:
- Creation of a species-appropriate enclosure with plenty of open space and appropriate safety precautions.</li
- Through public relations work: Raising public awareness of the highly endangered species “tiger”.</li
Our work:
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- 2022: First contact after the call for help
- 2023: Application for permission to build a tiger enclosure near Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf
- 2024: Lack of building permit in Austria: construction of the animal enclosure in Romania.
- Autumn 2024: Opening of the new tiger enclosure
Outlook:
- 2025: Completion of the spacious outdoor areas.
- Loving care for the tigers until the end of their natural lives.
"We want to give the tigers a voice and keep reminding people that the tiger problem is man-made and it is our responsibility to solve it!" ." (Dieter Ehrengruber, Managing Director and Chairman of the Foundation)
Our project - The whole story
Five tigers find a forever home
Today, there are four times more tigers living in captivity than in the wild. In Europe, these majestic animals are known from zoos and circuses. The 5 tigers at Gut Aiderbichl are no exception. Sandy, Floy, Tango, Roxy and Sonja were hand-reared by tamer Markus and belonged to the Moscow Circus. However, the circus fell victim to the Russia-Ukraine war because of its name, and the visitors stayed away. An additional stroke of fate in the form of a heart attack and the coronavirus pandemic ruined Markus’ health and finances.
Tamer Markus was therefore desperately looking for species-appropriate accommodation for his protégés. Their accommodation requires elaborate and very specialised safety measures. “For this reason, no other institution wanted to look after the animals. But can we look the other way? We at Gut Aiderbichl were unanimous: Absolutely not!” says Dieter Ehrengruber, Managing Director and Chairman of the Gut Aiderbichl Foundation.
An endangered species
The tiger is one of the most endangered animal species in the world. Tigers are actually very adaptable and can easily cope with large temperature differences. What they really need to survive are forests, water and sufficient prey.
But this is precisely where the problem lies: The natural habitat of tigers has been increasingly destroyed in recent decades. As with many wild animals, deforestation and the construction of road networks pose a serious threat. To survive, the majestic big cats need extensive territories in unspoilt nature. If the areas are too small, the tigers repeatedly venture outside the protected areas to establish new territories, which makes them particularly vulnerable to poaching – the tigers’ second major problem. Tiger bones and other parts are sold as supposed remedies and their skins are considered a status symbol in some cultures. Although China enacted a national trade ban in the 1990s, many cases of tiger poaching often go undetected and unpunished. Tigers are still on the list of critically endangered animals and need our increased attention.
The tigers move in
In the meantime, the number of tigers living in the wild is slowly increasing again. Releasing Sandy, Floy, Tango, Roxy and Sonja back into the wild and thus increasing the tiger population would sound good in theory, but the five big cats are descended from a line of tigers that have been born in circuses for many generations and have been imprinted on humans. Releasing them into the wild is therefore out of the question, as life in the wild would mean certain death for them.
Nevertheless, they have an innate hunting instinct. Therefore, strict safety measures must be observed for their enclosure in order to protect both the animals and humans. This includes special fences, security systems and trained staff.
A species-appropriate enclosure must be large enough to allow their natural urge to move and provide enough places to retreat to. “We were very lucky that a long-standing supporter of Gut Aiderbichl was able to offer us an appropriately large area in Romania. Together with tiger experts and the local authorities, we have now managed to build a species-appropriate “forever home” for Sandy, Floy, Tango, Roxy and Sonja,” says Dieter Ehrengruber.
The indoor enclosure for the five tigers at Liska Animal Park Zoo in Romania was completed in autumn 2024. The outdoor area will follow in spring 2025 and will comprise several hectares of land, a large pool for swimming and natural climbing and hiding places to provide the tigers with both rest and sufficient stimulation. A vet, who can treat emergencies directly, and trained animal keepers from Gut Aiderbichl are on site in Romania.
“The situation of tigers in their countries of origin, but also in Europe, is often dramatic. We want to give the tigers a voice and keep reminding people: the tiger problem is man-made and it is our responsibility to solve it!” emphasises Dieter Ehrengruber. Please support us in this endeavour!
