The Los Angeles Zoo welcomed a new male tiger named Castro Jr., or C.J., as he is commonly known. Born on March 3, 2013, the 250-pound feline comes from the Sacramento Zoo where he was a favorite among guests.

(photo by Tad Motoyama)

“C.J. is an incredibly well-natured and energetic tiger,” said Stephanie Zielinski, Animal Keeper for the Los Angeles Zoo. “He has very distinct gold eyes, and he loves to swim in the different pools in his habitat. We are excited to have a potential breeding male here at the Zoo because the Sumatran tiger is one of the most endangered subspecies of tiger in the world. There are less than 400 left in the wild.”

The Sumatran tiger is the smallest of the six remaining subspecies of tiger, and they are found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They can range in size from seven to nine feet in length and may weigh from 220 to 380 pounds. Sumatran tigers are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with agricultural habitat destruction, poaching and killing of tigers that comes into contact with villagers as the biggest threats to their survival.

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located at 5333 Zoo Drive, at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways. Admission is $19 for adults and $14 for children ages 2 to 12. The zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For information, call (323) 644-4200 or visit the L.A. Zoo Web site at www.lazoo.org.