Minnesota Zoo welcomes new Amur tiger after death of another tiger

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New Amur tiger Luka looking regal in his enclosure at the Minnesota Zoo. (FOX 9)

APPLE VALLEY, Mn. (FOX 9) - Three weeks after the Minnesota Zoo said goodbye to a beloved Amur tiger, the zoo has a new "paw-some" family member.

Luka is a 16-month-old Amur tiger. These tigers are some of the largest cats in the world, and it's believed that there are fewer than 500 left in the wild.

"He's already got everyone wrapped around his paw," said Dr. Taylor Yaw, chief of animal care, health, and conservation at the Minnesota Zoo. "Everyone's just really excited about his future and his training and his care."

Luka made the journey from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on April 5, and Wednesday marked his first day outside in his new public habitat. He had been spending time in a behind-the-scenes habitat adjusting to his new environment and care team.

The zoo received a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Tiger Species Survival Plan to receive Luka following the unfortunate death of a 12-year-old Amur tiger named Putin in March.

"We jumped on the opportunity, and it's been really great to fill that void," Yaw said. "It was a really hard loss for our male tiger for our entire professional team."

"It's really exciting to see a new tiger come here so quickly after we lost the last one," said Allan Valgemae, a zoo guest and former zoo volunteer.

The zoo said Luka was ready to leave his mother, and his move to Minnesota will help support the zoo’s tiger conservation efforts. The zoo has birthed more than 40 cubs in its 43-year history and co-leads the Tiger Conservation Campaign with the Phoenix Zoo. The campaign has raised millions of dollars for tiger conservation.

"Tiger conservation has really been core to our mission at the Minnesota Zoo since we opened our doors in 1978," Yaw explained. "A lot of years and a lot of great research has gone into tigers."

The zoo also has a female tiger, but it will likely be a few years before Luka has reached maturity and is able to breed.

"To have a new tiger and to see it situated so comfortably, and it's so well-trained -- it responded immediately to the keeper's call to come in for food," said zoo guest Bob Harding.

For now, the 250-pound cat will spend his days chasing birds, getting to know his trainers, and captivating hearts throughout Minnesota.