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Rare Bengal Tigers born in PTO. Vallarta

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PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO. In a small Zoo located in the jungle south of Puerto Vallarta 5 extremely rare Bengal Tiger cubs were born in early October of this year. This is a very significant accomplishment for this endangered species which has been hunted and driven out of its natural habitat by development.

Mexico is well known as a bio diverse environment and Puerto Vallarta is one of the prime examples, surrounded by lush jungle rain forest. This jungle and climate sustains and attracts a broad spectrum of animals from squirrels to jaguars. The small family owned and run Zoo (Zoologico de Vallarta) is set in the jungle and seems to be a positive environment for breeding the tigers even in captivity. The animals live in a setting almost the same as thier natural habitat but are also allowed close to zoo visitors and receive a lot of human interaction and hands on care.

The location and setting of the Zoo is very unique set in virgin jungle rainforest and is as also a great attraction for visitors. The Zoo also has a strong dedication to educating visitors and raising awareness of the plight of endangered animals all around the world. They have had great success with their breeding program and over 20 tigers have been born since 2010. They are very proud to be able to say that a rare white Bengal tiger was born as part of their program.

Visitors, many of them tourists from the nearby resorts of Puerto Vallarta, can also buy feed on their way in and get near many of the animals they learn about.

"All of the animals are so well-kept. Maybe at first glance you think oh it's just a local zoo in a Mexican town but all of the animals, we come here every year with our family, the kids just love it. Adults, kids, there are so many big cats every year that are born and you can get so close. They love to feed the animals, they're almost taken care of like pets. They're not kept like animals in cages where you can't get close. Today, for the first time, a hippo opened its mouth to be fed and that was really incredible," said tourist, Laura Acevedo.

The Vallarta Zoo was opened in 2005 with a focus on saving endangered species. Keepers at the site are currently planning a special 20-hectare (49-acre) sanctuary for its jaguars to breed with no help from vets.

"In this zoo we have six species of felines that you find in Mexico, jaguars, pumas, lynxes, ocelots, tigers and jagurundis. We have them and we're breeding them. On top of this we have other breeding programs for native species to this jungle as boas, coati, armadillos, black and green iguanas and we also have exotic species to educate visitors," said Martinez.

The nearly 700 animals at the zoo range from hippos to flamingos with over 100 different species.