tigers of the maharaja's temple
Catch a glimpse of our magnificent tigers! We are home to four incredible tigers. Our two Bengal tigers were rescues and our two Sumatran tigers are part of the AZA's Species Survival Plan. More details below!
meet our tigers
MARINA
Born December 9, 2003. Marina is a rare white Bengal Tiger. She is elegant and enchanting. Marina's unique markings are beautiful, a small brown spot above her nose and striping on her front legs.
APOLLO
Born December 15, 2020. Apollo was rescued as a 14-week-old tiger cub in San Antonio. He is a very playful and rambunctious Bengal tiger. He loves to swim and play with enrichment items. He currently weighs about 425 pounds!
ZARA
Born October 20, 2023. Zara is a Malaysian name meaning "princess and radiant". She's very independent and loves to lounge around, looking very regal, like the princess that she is!
KIRANA
Born October 20, 2023. Kirana is an Indonesian name meaning "beautiful sunbeam". She is a bit more shy but much more mysterious than her sister Zara.
Amazing Fact: Our white Bengal tiger, Marina, is currently the oldest Bengal tiger in the AZA population AND the oldest tiger (out of the 4 subspecies) within AZA facilities. These subspecies consist of Bengal, Amur, Sumatran, and Malayan tigers. The second rank for oldest tiger in the AZA population is currently at 19 years old. The average lifespan for a tiger in captivity is between 16 and 18 years old. With the contribution of good genes and expert care, it’s no surprise that Marina made it to 21 years and thriving for her age. Marina is monitored and cared for everyday to assure her comfortability, well being and quality of life. Marina is our Aquarium queen!
our tiger Exhibit
Our immersive exhibit has multiple levels, retreats and enrichment experiences designed for our tigers.
OUTDOOR EXHIBIT
Watch our tigers through floor to ceiling glass, while they lounge and play outdoors.
- Waterfall with a chilled and heated pool
- Enrichment Tree
- Training Window
Kids can get up close with their favorite tiger in our
Kid Crawl space!
INDOOR EXHIBIT
Watch our tigers through floor to ceiling glass as they relax and take catnaps inside.
- Large pool for encouraged water play
- A temperature-regulated exhibit features soundproof glass, multiple levels for climbing, multiple skylights and windows to provide natural sunlight.
On your visit you might see our staff rotating enrichment activities with our tigers and bringing new activities or 'toys' to ensure they are always engaged or entertained.
Read all about Enrichment below!
TIGER TALKS
Ever wonder why there are tigers at the Downtown Aquarium? We’re more than just fish! Stop by for a Tiger Talk happening throughout the day to learn all about these incredible big cats from our Aquarium Educators. Find out how much a tiger sleeps, how to tell our tigers apart, what they eat, and why they’re here as part of our mission. Can’t catch a talk? Just ask an Educator nearby! They’re always happy to share wild tiger facts and stories!
animal enrichment
Animal enrichment provides our animals with stimulating activities and environments to promote physical, mental and emotional well-being. This involves encouraging natural behaviors, stimulating curiosity, and offering choices and control within their surroundings.
For our tigers, enrichment is designed to mimic the challenges they would encounter in the wild, ensuring they remain physically active and mentally sharp.
Apollo loves wrestling with large enrichment items like boomer balls and barrels, especially if they are hung up with a bouncing bungee cord!
Marina is a fan of sensory enrichment, especially scents. She gets particularly excited when the keepers use fancy perfumes, like Chanel No. 5!
Sisters Kirana and Zara enjoy frozen blood pops, a variety of scents, and playing in large mounds of hay!
Sensory Enrichment
Scents and Spices:
We use various scents like cinnamon, pepper, animal scents, and perfumes to stimulate the tigers' sense of smell. These scents are hidden in different areas of their enclosure, encouraging them to explore and investigate.
Sound Enrichment: Natural sounds, such as bird calls or rustling leaves, are played to create an immersive environment. Sometimes, we even play recordings of other animals to pique their curiosity.
Food Enrichment
Puzzle Feeders: These are devices that require the tigers to solve a puzzle to access their food. This not only makes mealtime more engaging but also helps develop their problem-solving skills.
Frozen Treats: On hot days, we provide frozen meat or blood popsicles. These treats are not only refreshing but also encourage the tigers to use their claws and teeth to get to the food.
Physical Enrichment
Climbing Structures: Our enclosures are equipped with platforms, logs, and trees that encourage climbing and jumping. This helps maintain their physical fitness and provides a vantage point for them to survey their territory.
Swimming Pools: Tigers love water and our enclosures have pools where they can swim and cool off. Did you know Sumatran tigers have partially webbed feet?
Cognitive Enrichment
Training Sessions: Our keepers conduct regular training sessions using positive reinforcement. These sessions are not only mentally stimulating but also help in medical check-ups and care.
Novel Objects:
We introduce new objects like balls, barrels, and even cardboard boxes. These items are rotated regularly to keep the tigers interested and engaged.
Bengal & Sumatran tigers
What's the difference?
Bengal tigers are one of the biggest subspecies of cats roaming the Earth today.
- Majority of Bengal tigers sport yellow to light orange coats with brown to black stripes, but their bellies and the inward-facing sides of their limbs are white, just like Apollo!
- Bengal tigers have very large, sharp teeth. They fall between 3 and 3.9 inches from the gum line, making them the biggest canine teeth of all cat species.
- Bengal tigers live in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
- Only 3500 remain in the wild.
- CONSERVATION STATUS:
CRITICALLY
ENDANGERED
Sumatran Tigers are the smallest of the tiger species!
- Majority of Sumatran tigers have darker orange-tan fur with broad black stripes. Compared to other species, Sumatran tigers have more stripes.
- Sumatran males weigh up to 310 pounds and females weigh around 165 to 243 pounds.
- Because of their smaller statures, Sumatran tigers are more agile than other tiger species.
- Sumatran tigers believe in conserving energy and sleeping 18 to 20 hours a day!
- Sumatran tigers are like the Michael Phelps' of the big cat world. They’re powerful swimmers! They love the water and even have paw webbing.
- Wild Sumatran tigers are native to one place only: Sumatra, one of the Indonesian Sunda Islands.
- Only 250-400 remain in the wild.
- CONSERVATION STATUS:
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
private tiger meet & feed
Join us for an exclusive, up-close encounter with Downtown Aquarium's tigers! In this unique experience, you will learn all about animal training, big cat husbandry, tiger conservation, and have the opportunity to feed a tiger!
During this experience, you will:
- Learn all about these amazing animals and what you can do to help protect their natural habitats
- Meet the knowledgeable animal care experts who care for our tigers
- Observe and participate in a training demonstration
- Feed the tiger some of their favorite food
- Photo opp with tiger
Duration
Your experience will last 25-30 minutes depending on the animal, your group size, and level of participation.
Rate
$120 per person, plus tax for up to 6 participants, including children.
Children under 2 years old are free and not included in the headcount. Children under 2 years old must be held by an adult at all times during the Tiger Meet & Feed.
This rate includes your Private Tiger Meet & Feed and All Day Adventure Passes to the Aquarium Exhibit, Stingray Reef and all amusement rides.
Please Note: Due to the nature of this animal, Guests will not have any direct physical interaction with the tiger. Specific tigers cannot be guaranteed but if you have a special request, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate. The interactive activities available that day are solely up to the individual animals and whether or not they choose to participate.
tiger conservation
The Downtown Aquarium partners with Wildlife Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating the illegal wildlife trade. Allowing threatened species to recover to safe levels. Landry's / Downtown Aquarium helped fund the construction of a ranger station, built to help prevent the illegal hunting and breeding of tigers.
SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN PROGRAM - AZA
Our sister pair of tigers (Kirana & Zara) are welcomed as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), a nationwide program focused on the conservation of endangered species through responsible population management.
SSPs are breeding and conservation programs managed cooperatively through the Association of Zoo and Aquariums (AZA) to ensure the long-term survival of many species. Their stay will help prepare them for adulthood and future opportunities to contribute to the species' survival through breeding and continued conservation work.
Certifications
Our tiger exhibits were designed and constructed with the recommendations of large carnivore experts from across the country. Our exhibit is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Zoological Association of America (ZAA), all of which hold the property to the highest of industry standards.
Downtown Aquarium Houston is one of 230 accredited members of the AZA. Fewer than 10 percent of all USDA public display permit holders are able to meet AZA’s rigorous accreditation standards, and Downtown Aquarium Houston has done so since 2004. Routine inspections by USDA are conducted annually and the property remains in total compliance.
Certified by AZA, USDA and ZAA, the Downtown Aquarium Tiger exhibit employs a full-time staff, with over 40 years of zoo and aquarium experience that monitor the cats 365 days a year. In addition to our staff, we also have three veterinarians that visit the facility and provide care to the tigers several times a month and remain on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
