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The Association of Zoos and Aquariums's Tiger SSP® (Species
Survival Plan) is a cooperative program that manages about 150
Amur tigers in about 60 zoos throughout North America. In order
to match up the best tigers for breeding and to meet exhibit needs,
tigers are often exchanged among zoos. In cooperation with the
Tiger SSP, many tigers have passed through the Minnesota Zoo from
throughout the U.S. and the world.
Zoos in Europe, Australasia and Asia manage their tigers in similar
programs. All of these tigers are integrated through the CBSG
Tiger Global Conservation Strategy coordinated by the Minnesota
Zoo. This allows the best use of our resources to keep captive
tigers genetically healthy and to provide a genetic insurance
policy against the loss of wild tigers.
Tigers with unknown pedigrees are not included in the SSP, because
their genetic relationships are unknown. Many are hybrids or may
be inbred. White tigers in the U.S. fall into both categories.
 An
In depth look at the Tiger SSP
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