On the outside Diesel the tiger may look like an ordinary animal but talk to his keeper, Carol Eager, and she’ll tell you how important he is to the survival of the wild tiger populations.
Earlier this year, Diesel was brought in from a zoo in Moscow, Russia, to the Ashland Safari Zoo here in Nebraska. Since then, there has been a buzz around this animal, since he is the only one of his kind.
By accounts from Eager, Diesel’s situation is “once in a blue moon,” since tigers are rarely imported to the United States in general.
Eager was excited when talking about Diesel and his genetic capabilities, as well as “how lucky” she and the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo are to be able to work with Diesel.
“We’ve had this population to work with where we were able to bring in a cat from the wild into the United States from Russia, that’s why he is so valuable genetically,” she said.
Jason Herrick, who is one of the lead reproductive scientists at the Henry Doorly Zoo, said Diesel is key to finishing research on The Tiger Genome Project, an experimental fallback plan if wild tiger populations become endangered or worse.
“The idea is that in 100 years, that maybe climate change will have reversed, or population growth will have changed and that there may be natural habitat where we can re-introduce tiger populations into the wild in places that they’ve gone extinct,” said Herrick.
Herrick mentioned that the Tiger Genome Project would also rely on artificial insemination, which is where Diesel’s genetics come in. His genes will purify the tiger gene pool and remain frozen until they are needed in the future.
Eager added that tiger populations in the wild and in captivity within the United States are low since many of the tigers aren’t in the age range to mate anymore, or they might not have the ability to reproduce.
Both Eager and Herrick said they understand the momentous undertaking needed to repopulate tiger species around the world, but said they have high hopes with Diesel in their possession.
