Hot weather benefits Bengal tigers, monkeys

Above-normal temperatures in summer and mild winter weather in recent years have contributed to the adaptation and reproduction of Bengal tigers and monkeys at the Konya Karatay Zoo, according to officials.

The Bengal tigers at the zoo gave birth to 14 cubs in four years, while monkeys gave birth to three babies in two years.

The director of the zoo, Ali Can, said the zoo was founded in a garden of 27,000 square meters in 2000 and was now home to 530 animals of 83 species.

The animals that have attracted the most attention are the tigers and monkeys, he said, adding that they had put in great effort to help the animals adapt to the Central Anatolian province of Konya’s climate. “This is why it is hard for them to reproduce.”

Can said that thanks to moderation in the region’s climate in recent years, the monkeys and tigers had begun to reproduce. “Reproduction was harder for exotic animals in the past. But they have gradually adapted to the conditions in this region. It is too early to give a certain reason for this adaptation but it is mostly because of the zoo’s good conditions and mild climate,” he said.