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NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ -
Buffalo, NY, United States, 2008/02/19 - Time Warner Cable's Buffalo Division announced today a two-year partnership with the Buffalo Zoo to encourage animal education and conservation. Time Warner Cable is sponsoring the Buffalo Zoo's two Amur Tiger cubs, Thyme (female) and Warner (male).
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Time Warner Cable, the nation’s second largest cable television operator and provider of telecommunications services, and the Buffalo Zoo today announced a multi-year partnership to assist in the Zoo’s work of animal conservation. Over the next two years, Time Warner Cable will work with the Zoo to encourage education about proper interaction with animals in captivity and will be the main sponsor of the new Amur tiger cubs. As the presenting sponsor, Time Warner Cable is pleased to announce that the cubs’ names will be Thyme (female) and Warner (male). In addition, Time Warner Cable is creating and distributing 10,000 educational bookmarks that highlight proper zoo etiquette.
“Time Warner Cable is excited about this new partnership with the Buffalo Zoo. The Zoo is an important part of the Western New York community and the work it does to preserve and protect animal species is heralded well beyond the city limits. We are proud to work with such a fine institution,” stated Gordon Harp, President, Time Warner Cable’s Buffalo Division. “Our new namesakes, Thyme and Warner, represent a wonderful accomplishment as we know how hard it is to breed tigers in captivity. We are excited to watch them grow and hope the community will visit the Zoo often to capture their many stages of development.”
“We are pleased to partner with Time Warner Cable, who shares our mission to promote the conservation of the majestic Amur tiger,” said Dr. Donna M. Fernandes, Buffalo Zoo President/CEO. “Approximately 450 of these animals are found living in the Russian Far East, and it is imperative to inform the public about the dangers that tigers face in the wild so we can help secure their future.”
The Zoo and Time Warner Cable publicly welcome Thyme and Warner at a 10:00 am press conference on February 19. The cubs will be introduced to the media and invited guests in their exhibit for the first time and receive a blessing for good health from the Reverend Joseph Bayne, OFM Conv., Director of the Franciscan Center. The event will also feature a ceremonial cake cutting and unveiling of the new signage at the Amur tiger exhibit.
Born on October 7, the male and female cubs each weighed in at approximately two pounds. Their births are a huge success for the Buffalo Zoo, as these are the first surviving tiger cubs to be born at the Zoo since 1988. The breeding of the cubs’ parents, Sungari and Toma, was recommended as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is designed to help a species maintain a healthy and stable captive population. Sungari has taken excellent care of her cubs, who now weigh approximately 25 pounds.
The cubs will be on exhibit to the general public starting Wednesday, February 20, 2008. As the cubs and other tigers will be exhibited on a rotational basis, the best time to view the cubs is between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. However, special circumstances, including feeding, inclement weather and veterinary procedures, may require that the cubs be removed from public viewing to ensure their best possible care. The Buffalo Zoo is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays in January and February.
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