Sparky The Sex Tiger Brought To National Zoo in D.C.

WASHINGTON, DC — A new male Sumatran tiger at the National Zoo is single and ready to mingle.

Sparky, a 12-year-old, has arrived in Washington, D.C., as part of a species survival breeding plan, and he is now on display at the Great Cats Exhibit at the National Zoo, according to a Smithsonian statement.

"The 12-year-old tiger came to the Zoo on a breeding recommendation from the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan," the statement notes. "Sparky has never sired a litter of cubs, and the Zoo's female tiger Damai is a proven breeder and mother."

Damai and Sparky will have "visual access" to each other at the Great Cats Exhibit. They will be "gradually" introduced to each other over the coming months in the hopes of getting them to breed at some point.

Fortunately, there are some good signs right off the bat.

"Damai has shown affiliative behaviors, such as chuffing (a friendly greeting vocalization) to Sparky," the Zoo said.

Sumatran tigers, which are from Indonesia, are a critically endangered species, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. There are just 400 individuals believed to remain the wild.

The main threats to the Sumatran tiger are high rates of habitat loss, as well as conflict between tigers and humans. Poachers also pose a risk to tigers.

Image via Smithsonian National Zoo