12 August 2012
THE new 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, tiger mascot has returned to Darwin with his tail between his legs after a failed romantic mission in Tasmania.
Ten-year-old Bengal tiger Rama was supposed to have cubs with his mate Lena at Zoodoo Wildlife Park, in Tasmania, during his four-year getaway.
But unfortunately Rama was unable to earn his stripes in the bedroom - even with authentic tiger-print undies.
Rama was brought back yesterday with his big thick furry Tasmanian coat to his old home at Territory Wildlife Park, in Berrimah.
The zoo's senior big cat keeper Petra van den Berg, 27, was reluctant to say Rama was impotent.
"In captivity, it is different," she said.
"I'd like to think he's a healthy tiger. For a start, in captivity they don't have a choice of female.
"There's many reasons. But they are best friends - she will miss him and he will miss her.
"They sleep on each other, they play together, eat together - they do everything together."
Lena was supposed to return to the Top End with Rama, but the trip has been delayed for about a year. "Hopefully they will live happily ever after," Ms van den Berg said.
The optimum age for tiger breeding is between 3 and 9 years old, and they mate every three months.
Rama got a lonely Qantas flight and was met at the airport by 5RAR members, who brought him back to this enclosure by truck in a cage. The exhausted feline let a few roars go before the cage opened and he was able to get into the enclosure for a hosepipe shower yesterday.
The 5RAR are throwing an enlistment party for him at Robertson Barracks on August 23. The 5RAR old tiger mascot, Sabre, died in September 2010.
