Dreamworld History of Tiger Island (Dreamworld)

Zoofan15

Zoofan15

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10+ year member
History of Tiger Island (Dreamworld)

Introduction

I thought people would be interested to learn more about the history of Tiger Island, which remains one of the world’s most well known tiger complexes.

Tiger Island is currently home to 10 tigers - currently the largest population of tigers held at an Australasian facility.

This thread will be updated in stages - from the early beginnings to the present day.
 
Part One (1995-2000)

Tiger Island opened in June 1995 with the import of six generic tigers from the United States. At the time, they were only one of two interactive tiger facilities in the world (the other being located in San Francisco).

The first six tigers consisted of three sibling pairs:

1.0 Mohan (02/11/1994) White (light stripes)
0.1 Kyla (02/11/1994) White (dark stripes)

1.0 Rakkhan (22/12/1994) Orange (dark stripes)
0.1 Jai (22/12/1994) White (dark stripes)

1.0 Bakkar (30/12/1994) Orange (dark stripes)
0.1 Samara (30/12/1994) Orange (dark stripes)

Kyla died of a bacterial infection in December 1996.

Mohan and Samara produced four cubs in October 1998:

1.0 Sultan (23/10/1998) Orange (dark stripes)
1.0 Rama (23/10/1998) Orange (light stripes)
1.0 Taj (23/10/1998) White (light stripes)
0.1 Sita (23/10/1998) Orange (light stripes)

Taj was the first white tiger born in Australasia - with the litter arguably remaining the most well known litter born in the region to date. Sita was a strawberry tiger - also the first born within the region.
 
Part Two (2001-2006)

Jai died following a kidney infection in September 2001. A kidney transplant was attempted, using her brother as a donor; but Jai suffered complications and died following a series of seizures.

A sibling pair of generic tigers were received from Bullens in November 2001:

1.0 Kato (24/10/2001) Orange (dark stripes)
0.1 Kasha (24/10/2001) Orange (dark stripes)

Kasha suffered from asthma and died in 2002.

Samara transferred to the National Zoo and Aquarium around 2002; while Bakkar was transferred to Taronga Western Plains Zoo in 2003. Their transfers left Dreamworld with just two of the original six founders, Mohan and Rakhan.

In 2005, Kato and Sita mated for the first time. Unfortunately no cubs were ever produced, with Sita undergoing an emergency spey due to a uterine infection.

In October 2003, Dreamworld imported their first Sumatran tiger:

0.1 Soraya (09/06/2002)

A mate was imported for Soraya in December 2005:

1.0 Raja (25/12/2003)
 
@Zoofan15

Excellent history blog as always man. Wonder if Bakkar took over the enclosure at TWPZ that Bona the (white-coat with dark stripes) *Bengal Tiger (d.o.b 18/5/94) occupied from 28 March 1996 until his death on 20 December 2002; (though do remember that during this timeframe was when Selatan also moved to Dubbo in exchange for Assiqua & Juara).

*a.f.a.i.k all of Bona's ascendants were accounted for as being Bengal Tigers from India (the Rewa and Orissa family groups combined in his ancestry) though he himself came from Ragunan Zoo, Jakarta, Indonesia (but you know already sorry).
 
Last edited:
steveroberts said:
@Zoofan15

Excellent history blog as always man. Wonder if Bakkar took over the enclosure at TWPZ that Bona the (white-coat with dark stripes) *Bengal Tiger (d.o.b 18/5/94) occupied from 28 March 1996 until his death on 20 December 2002; (though do remember that during this timeframe was when Selatan also moved to Dubbo in exchange for Assiqua & Juara).

*a.f.a.i.k all of Bona's ascendants were accounted for as being Bengal Tigers from India (the Rewa and Orissa family groups combined in his ancestry) though he himself came from Ragunan Zoo, Jakarta, Indonesia (but you know already sorry).
Click to expand...

Thank you - there’s plenty more to come!

That sounds likely Bakkar going into that exhibit as it ties in with his dates at Dubbo. He was sent there on an 18 month loan from Dreamworld as he was clashing with some of their other tigers.
 
Part Three (2007-2012)

2007 got off to an exciting start with Raja and Soraya welcoming their first litter of cubs:

0.1 Indah (31/03/2007)
0.1 Rahni (31/03/2007)

They were the first Sumatran tiger cubs born on Tiger Island.

In June 2008, a Sumatran tiger arrived from Perth Zoo for handraising:

0.1 Sali (11/04/2008)

Sali was handraised raised alongside Raja and Soraya’s second litter:

0.1 Jaya (09/06/2008)
0.1 Ndari (09/06/2008)
0.1 Shanti (09/06/2008)

Three of Dreamworld’s Sumatran tigers were transferred out in 2010: Soraya was transferred to Mogo Zoo; Indah was transferred to Taronga Western Plains Zoo; and Rahni was transferred to the National Zoo and Aquarium.

In October 2010, a male generic tiger was transferred from Cairns Wildlife Safari:

1.0 Pi (19/07/2010) Orange (dark stripes)

Sali was exported to Hamilton Zoo in April 2012.

In April 2012, two generic tigers were received from Bullens:

1.0 Baru (02/03/2012) Orange (dark stripes)
1.0 Ravi (02/03/2012) Orange (dark stripes)

Mohan died in June 2012. It appears Rakhan died sometime prior as he was no longer at Tiger Island upon Mohan’s death and doesn’t appear to have gone elsewhere. Mohan was therefore the last of the original six tigers to live on Tiger Island.
 
Part Four (2013-2022)

In 2013, Dreamworld imported a hybrid tigress from Poland:

0.1 Nika (15/04/2006) Orange (dark stripes)

Raja and Nika were paired to produce the following litters:

1.0 Kai (25/07/2015) Orange (dark stripes)

0.1 Adira (29/11/2015) Orange (dark stripes)
0.1 Akasha (29/11/2015) Orange (dark stripes)

0.1 Melati (24/01/2018) Orange (dark stripes)
0.1 Mya (24/01/2018) Orange (dark stripes)

1.0 Kahn (26/05/2019) Orange (dark stripes)

In 2016, two hybrid tigresses were imported from Japan:

0.1 Kali (02/11/2015) White (dark stripes)
0.1 Kiko (02/11/2015) White (dark stripes)

Hybrid tigers Baru and Ravi; and Sumatran tigress, Ndari, were transferred to the National Zoo in July 2016.

Melati and Mya were transferred to the National Zoo in October 2018.

Pi and Adira produced two cubs in April 2019:

1.0 Javi (26/04/2019) Orange (dark stripes)
1.0 Zakari (26/04/2019) Orange (dark stripes)

Raja and Nika were transferred to Sydney Zoo in November 2019.

Kai was transferred to Ballarat Wildlife Park in June 2022.
 
Part Five (2023)

Tiger Island’s current population is as follows:

Sumatran tiger:

0.1 Jaya (09/06/2008) Raja x Soraya
0.1 Shanti (09/06/2008) Raja x Soraya

Hybrid tiger:

1.0 Pi (19/07/2010) Orange (dark stripes) Hari x Louise
0.1 Kali (02/11/2015) White (dark stripes) Imported 2016
0.1 Kiko (02/11/2015) White (dark stripes) Imported 2016
0.1 Adira (29/11/2015) Orange (dark stripes) Raja x Nika
0.1 Akasha (29/11/2015) Orange (dark stripes) Raja x Nika
1.0 Javi (26/04/2019) Orange (dark stripes) Pi x Adira
1.0 Zakari (26/04/2019) Orange (dark stripes) Pi x Adira
1.0 Kahn (26/05/2019) Orange (dark stripes) Raja x Nika

Total: 4.6 tigers

It was announced last year that Tiger Island will be operating under protected contact. It will be interesting to see if they reduce their tiger population in response, as it will be more challenging to manage the various social groupings under protected contact.

They have a relatively youthful demographic, with seven of their eight hybrids aged seven years of age or younger. Their are many viable breeding pairs - including Pi and Adira/Akasha; and Kali/Kiko with any of the four males.

Personally I’m surprised they haven’t yet bred from the two female white tigers to produce cubs carrying the recessive white gene. The health issues of white tigers has been subject to much publicity in recent years, but outcrossing them to unrelated orange tigers would allow them preserve the gene, while breeding genetically healthy tigers.
 
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