A new Siberian tiger brought from Portugal is expected to become the new mating partner of a tigress in the Tiergarten Schonbrunn Zoo in Austria.

The newest resident of the Tiergarten Schonbrunn Zoo in Austria’s capital Vienna is a two-year-old tiger called Pepe, that was welcomed by the zoo authorities on Monday on 17th May 2021.

Zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck said in a press release: “Pepe is two years old and comes from the Lisbon Zoo. As a part of the new EAZA Ex-Situ Program (European Conservation Breeding Program), he is the new partner for our tigress Ina, who was born in our zoo in 2008.”

Despite the two of them being kept separately in order to get to know each other slowly, the 13-year-old tigress was curiously watching Pepe after his arrival on Monday, according to the zoo director.

Since the two animals have very similar physical traits, district manager Andreas Eder revealed how to distinguish them from each other by saying: “Pepe is a bit taller, while Ina has a lighter coat and a shorter snout.”

Siberian tigers are classified as Endangered species on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, meaning they are very likely to become extinct in the near future.

The Tiergarten Schonbrunn Zoo had successfully bred Siberian tigers through the years, but stopped a while ago to prevent the bloodline from being overly represented in the population.

Director Hering-Hagenbeck added: “Now Ina’s genes are very valuable for tiger population in captivity and we would be happy if it works out with the offspring.”

The zoo reported that anyone who wants to visit Pepe or the other animals in the zoo has to be vaccinated or tested.

Zoo officials also advised future visitors to buy their tickets online to avoid crowds in front of the ticket office.