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gizaVive le Québec tigre
Siberian tiger in Edmonton zoo appears to be missing his Montreal-area home
KATHERINE HARDING
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
EDMONTON — It's not always easy being a francophone in Alberta, and that even goes for a 136-kilogram Siberian tiger named Boris.
When the seven-year-old tiger arrived at Edmonton's Valley Zoo from a Montreal-area zoo last year, zookeepers found him to be shy and even standoffish.
Then they quickly figured out the problem – the massive cat missed hearing his “mother tongue”: French.
“I'm not sure if he understands what's being said or is just responding to the language, but he likes to be talked to in French,” said Ginette Heppelle, the only French-speaking zookeeper at Edmonton's zoo. “I think he misses it.”
Ms. Heppelle said the zoo accidentally discovered Boris's language preference when she stopped by the endangered animal's enclosure shortly after his arrival and started speaking to the animal in French.
“He came over to me right away,” she recalled.
Boris was born in captivity at the Granby Zoo, which is located about 70 kilometres southeast of Montreal. He lived there until he was moved to Edmonton last May.
Edmonton zoo officials are asking French-speaking visitors to the facility this summer to pay Boris a visit and try talking to him.
“I think that's a worthy cause for a French-speaking cat,” said Dean Triechel, the zoo's operations supervisor.
Siberian tiger in Edmonton zoo appears to be missing his Montreal-area home
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| "Of course I am French! Why do you think my growl has this outraaaaageous accent!" |
KATHERINE HARDING
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
EDMONTON — It's not always easy being a francophone in Alberta, and that even goes for a 136-kilogram Siberian tiger named Boris.
When the seven-year-old tiger arrived at Edmonton's Valley Zoo from a Montreal-area zoo last year, zookeepers found him to be shy and even standoffish.
Then they quickly figured out the problem – the massive cat missed hearing his “mother tongue”: French.
“I'm not sure if he understands what's being said or is just responding to the language, but he likes to be talked to in French,” said Ginette Heppelle, the only French-speaking zookeeper at Edmonton's zoo. “I think he misses it.”
Ms. Heppelle said the zoo accidentally discovered Boris's language preference when she stopped by the endangered animal's enclosure shortly after his arrival and started speaking to the animal in French.
“He came over to me right away,” she recalled.
Boris was born in captivity at the Granby Zoo, which is located about 70 kilometres southeast of Montreal. He lived there until he was moved to Edmonton last May.
Edmonton zoo officials are asking French-speaking visitors to the facility this summer to pay Boris a visit and try talking to him.
“I think that's a worthy cause for a French-speaking cat,” said Dean Triechel, the zoo's operations supervisor.