Annabell Whelan woke up Tuesday and frantically checked on her holiday overnight guest — Nowl the snowy owl, who she rescued from the grille of a car the day before.
Whelan was out with her boyfriend’s family Monday in Duluth, Minnesota, when she saw the owl “just hanging out there, literally” after car and bird had collided, she told The Associated Press. The car’s owner had already called for help, but the animal rescue organization that the bird needed was closed — so Whelan stepped in, not for the first time that day.
Earlier Monday, Whelan found an injured great gray owl on the ground further north in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Experts at Wildwoods, a Duluth-based wildlife rehabilitation center, told her how to safely catch the bird.
“I definitely thought that I had had my fix of owls with the first one,” said Whelan, 22, a Lake Superior Zoo guest experience manager who graduated earlier this year with a biology and environmental science degree.
“I could tell he was having a hard time with one of his eyes,” she said. “I kind of took my time and just sat there with him and talked quietly and was just kind of trying to coax him to trust me a little bit.”
Whelan scooped the owl up in a blanket, transferred him to a dog crate in the car and dropped the great gray owl off at Wildwoods. He was sent along with another animal to the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center in St. Paul.
But the snowy owl she found hours later was in a much scarier situation, she said.
“It was obviously a lot more trauma,” she said.
Since Wildwoods had already closed for the night, Whelan wrapped Nowl in a blanket and crated her overnight in a dark, quiet room in her home — keeping her and her cousin’s curious cats and dog at bay. She named her Nowl, a play on noel.
“I tried to prepare myself in case I woke up in the morning and she didn’t make it through the night,” Whelan said. But she said she cried happy tears when she saw Nowl moving and awake, bringing her to Wildwoods that morning.
Nowl “is quite beaten up,” Wildwoods posted on Facebook Tuesday after examining the bird. “We applied a wing wrap, gave her meds, and coordinated with The Raptor Center to get her down to them.”
The rescue said people should slow down, stay alert, and call for help when they see an injured animal. The animals are terrified of people and should be quickly moved to a quiet, safe space where they can be left alone until professionals can step in, the rescue said.
This lofty Penn State football defense has one box yet to check this season.
Something that could make life a lot easier when it goes on the road Saturday against a rested, prepared and plucky opponent, the Minnesota Golden Gophers (3:30 p.m., CBS).
This Nittany Lion defense, led by new coordinator Tom Allen, has been increasingly effective in most every facet the past month. It’s up to No. 4 nationally in total yards allowed (only 272.6 yards per game). It’s No. 5 in stopping the run. It’s No. 6 in yielding points.
Penn State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) just hasn’t been very good at taking the ball away from its opponent.
The Lions have forced only 12 turnovers in 10 games − middle of the pack among the nation’s 133 teams. The lone standout has been safety Jaylen Reed (three interceptions).
Meanwhile, Minnesota (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten), for all of its hot and cold play, has been remarkably consistent and efficient at taking the ball away on defense (20 forced turnovers) and protecting it on offense (eight turnovers). The Gophers have already intercepted 16 passes.
It’s an intriguing factor that could tilt a game the Lions have no business losing. They are a 12-point favorite. They are more talented, deeper and productive than Minnesota in most every major factor.
Turnovers could be the one thing that keep the Gophers in the game at home.
Penn State football: How to avoid a Minnesota upset
Coach James Franklin broke down what is otherwise-elite defense needs to improve in this regard:
“The first thing is shots on goal, what we call it. Making sure the second (defender on a play) is stripping and punching at the football. A few years ago, we were causing a decent amount of fumbles but not recovering them. So making sure we’re doing both at a high level.
“Then I think we’re doing a pretty good job of PBUs and contested catches, (but) we’ve got to come with a few of those. There’s been a couple that are 50-50 balls, and the way the rules are in college football, the tie goes to the offense. We’ve got to find a way to win a few more of those …
“The next step is not just the confidence of breaking the ball up but actually going after the ball.”
Senior Day set:Penn State football: Kickoff, TV details set for Senior Day vs. Maryland
The key on Saturday, then, will not be just halting the running of Minnesota’s Darius Taylor (5 yards per carry) but pressuring, disrupting and making life more difficult than usual for quarterback Max Brosmer. Force him to rush things. Pressure him into mistakes.
Create a couple of turnovers.
Doing that could trigger another landslide Penn State victory.
Likewise, allowing the Gophers − the best turnover-ratio team in the Big Ten − to take advantage could keep them in the game, brew an upset − and put them in peril of missing the College Football Playoff.
It’s the most important opportunity yet, in a sense, for this improving top-five Penn State team. To conquer one thing it just hasn’t quite yet.
Bodani’s prediction: Penn State 27, Minnesota 13
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
MINNEAPOLIS — Eagle lovers around the world who were crushed by the live-streamed collapse of a nest housing two birds and their chick will get another viewing opportunity when a new eagle camera goes live on Thursday.
The new camera, operated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, is in a different location and will show a different nesting pair, the agency announced Tuesday. But the DNR will also keep its old EagleCam running because the old pair built a new nest about a half-mile away and still visit their old territory. They’ve been seen there as recently as Friday.
The old camera had viewers in 50 states and around 160 countries, in homes, classrooms and nursing homes, according to Lori Naumann, a spokesperson for the DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program, which runs the cameras. The old nest was home to a pair that viewers unofficially nicknamed “Nancy and Beau” until it collapsed during a heavy snowstorm on April 2, 2023. The female bird flew off as a branch supporting the 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) nest, which was over 20 years old, gave way. The chick was later found dead.
There was an outpouring of grief in popular Facebook groups that followed the pair, and members of those groups expressed excitement at the news Tuesday.
Naumann told reporters they often had thousands of viewers at any given time before the nest collapse, especially during the pandemic as homebound viewers went online to get their nature fixes. Minnesota has the largest eagle population in the lower 48 states, building nests even in urban areas.
The pair at the new, undisclosed location has nested there for at least four years and has reared several broods of eaglets, Naumann said. Officials aren’t sure exactly how long the nest has been there or how many chicks the parents have hatched because they haven’t followed them closely yet, she said.
Both cameras will go live around 6 a.m. CST Thursday on the DNR website and on the agency’s YouTube channel.
There isn’t a lot of activity at the nest at the moment, though that will change, Naumann said.
“It’s not really breeding season right now,” she said. “We expect them to start bringing new branches and new nesting material into the nest over the next several months, when their courtship behavior will start ramping up. And when that happens, they actively build the nest together, showing their dedication to each other and their worthiness of being a partner.”
The female is expected to lay two or three eggs sometime around February, she said, and they’ll take about 35 days to hatch. Both adults typically care for their chicks, constantly bringing them dead fish to satisfy their enormous appetites.
As for “Nancy and Beau” — the DNR doesn’t name the animals it follows — it wasn’t feasible to run power to and install a camera at their new nest, where they successfully raised two chicks last season. So the agency launched an extensive search before settling on the new, more accessible location with a healthy tree. They installed the camera in early October at a total cost of about $5,000. Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy provided the bucket lift truck and other services to set up the new camera at no charge, as it did with the original.
The eagles serve as ambassadors for the Nongame Wildlife Program, which is supported by direct donations and a voluntary checkoff on the state’s personal income tax form. It funds a range of wildlife projects across the state to benefit struggling species. The cameras are going live on Thursday to leverage a statewide charity event, although as a government agency the DNR isn’t an official participant.
FARGO — Jack Primus caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Frankie Meagher with 12 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to lift Upsala-Swanville to a 19-12 victory against Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa for the Minnesota Class 1A, Section 4 football championship at the Fargodome.
Upsala-Swanville won its first section title since 2014. Primus’ TD catch broke a 12-12 tie.
Parkers Prairie and West Central Area, Staples-Motley and Osakis, Barnesville and Hawley and Fergus Falls and Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton are also slated to play for section titles.
Below are scenes from Friday’s games at the Fargodome (check back for updates):
Upsala/Swanville celebrates their win against Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa during the Section 4A championship game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Upsala/Swanville celebrates Jack Primus’ touchdown against Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa during the Section 4A championship game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Upsala/Swanville celebrates their win against Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa during the Section 4A championship game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Brett DeRoo is taken down by Upsala/Swanville’s Frankie Meagher and Ethan Barthel during the Section 4A championship game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Upsala/Swanville’s Jack Primus catches the kick off against Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Jack Lundberg during the Section 4A championship game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Jack Lundberg is brought down by Upsala/Swanville’s Carson Primus during the Section 4A championship game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Joshua Walstrom blocks a pass to Upsala/Swanville’s Jack Primus during the Section 4A championship game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Upsala/Swanville’s Ethan Barthel is tackled by Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Lance Radermacher and Harley Weber during the Section 4A championship game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Brett DeRoo misses a pass against Upsala/Swanville’s Frankie Meagher during the Section 4A championship game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Luke Illies moves with the ball against Upsala/Swanville’s Brody Kircher during the Section 4A championship game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Kameron Hiltner runs the ball in for a touchdown against Upsala/Swanville’s Brody Kircher during the Section 4A championship game on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996.
FARGO — Isaiah Wright scored three touchdowns to lead Fertile-Beltrami to a 52-15 victory against Fosston on Thursday in the Minnesota 9-person, Section 6 football championship at the Fargodome.
Fertile-Beltrami has won four consecutive section titles.
Border West earned a 22-20 victory against Hancock for the 9-person, Section 4 championship.
Stephen-Argyle scored a 42-14 vcitory against Warren-Alvarado-Oslo for the 9-person, Section 8 title. Blaine Smith scored four touchdowns for Stephen-Argyle.
Red Lake County and Mahnomen-Waubun played for the Class 1A, Section 8 crown.
Below are scenes from the Fargodome (check back for updates):
The Fertile-Beltrami 9-player football team celebrates winning the Section 6-9-player championship game against Fosston on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Stephen-Argyle Central’s Blaine Smith is taken down by Warren-Alvarado-Oslo during the Section 8 9-player championship game on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Fosston running back Ryne Duppong gains some yardage against Fertile-Beltrami in Section 6 nine-player championship game at the Fargodome on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Stephen-Argyle Central fans cheer for their team during the Section 8 9-player championship game against Warren-Alvarado-Oslo on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Fertile-Beltrami’s Jonah Harstad breaks free for a touchdown run against Fosston on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Stephen-Argyle Central’s Blaine Smith kicks off against Warren-Alvarado-Oslo during the Section 8 9-player championship game on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Fosston quarterback Jakob Rudie looks for an open receiver against Fertile-Beltrami on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Stephen-Argyle Central’s Shay Setterholm passes the ball off to Blaine Smith during their Section 8 9-player championship game against Warren-Alvarado-Oslo on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Fosston quarterback Jakob Rudie scrambles for yardage against Fertile-Beltrami on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Stephen-Argyle Central’s Raydon Woinarowicz looks back as he runs in a touchdown against Warren-Alvarado-Oslo during the Section 8 9-player championship game on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Stephen-Argyle Central’s Blaine Smith moves around Warren-Alvarado-Oslo’s Kyden Kotrba and Chase Kalt for a touchdown during the Section 8 9-player championship game on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo’s Kaden Pierce celebrates a touchdown against Stephen-Argyle Central during the Section 8 9-player championship game on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo’s Kaden Pierce sneaks by Stephen-Argyle Central’s Anders Thompson to run in a touchdown during the Section 8 9-player championship game on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo fans cheer for their team during the Section 8 9-player championship game against Stephen-Argyle Central on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo’s Duqe Washington kicks a field goal with help from teammate Noah Sedlacek during their Section 8 9-player championship game against Stephen-Argyle Central on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo’s Kaden Pierce is taken down by Stephen-Argyle Central’s Kellen Johnson and Caden Pagnac during the Section 8 9-player championship game on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996.
Gopher Athletics and Dinkytown Athletes have expanded their partnership to include the Golden Gopher Fund. Building on the University of Minnesota’s commitment to provide a transformational academic and athletic experience for every Gopher student-athlete, individuals who support name, image and likeness (NIL) through Dinkytown Athletics will now receive Gopher Score priority points for their support of the Gopher student-athletes.
The partnership will go into effect November 1, 2024, in alignment with the Golden Gopher Fund’s new annual fund year. This new partnership will add to the rewards supporters of Gophers’ NIL opportunities can enjoy.
“While we work to achieve competitive excellence at Minnesota, we also remain dedicated to our mission of providing a world-class education and to inspiring our community,” said Director of Athletics Mark Coyle. “Golden Gopher Fund contributions have always had a critical impact in supporting student-athlete scholarships, academic support services, sports medicine, mental health initiatives, nutrition and much more. This partnership now allows us to recognize and reward our donors and fans who have also stepped forward to support our student-athletes through NIL opportunities with Dinkytown Athletes.”
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with the Golden Gopher Fund in adding Gopher Score points to the growing list of benefits that our members have access to.” added Dinkytown Athletes co-founder Rob Gag. “Dinkytown Athletes contributors and members are among the most passionate and dedicated in the Gopher fan base. Through in-person events, videos and interviews, our membership program connects fans with Gopher Athletes at a level that they’ve not before had access to. There has never been a better time to join in supporting your favorite Gopher athletes.”
New Benefits for Contributions to Dinkytown Athletes
For every $100 contributed to Dinkytown Athletes from memberships or one-time contributions, donors will earn ten (10) Gophers Score priority points from the Golden Gopher Fund within the current annual giving year (Nov. 1, 2024 – Oct. 31, 2025).
Gopher Score priority points are used to assign a ranking to each eligible Golden Gopher Fund member for the processes including season ticket upgrades, postseason ticket on-sales, priority for single game ticket on-sales and Gopher Loyalty Program benefit selection order.
Now through November 10, 2024, Nepsis is sponsoring a $1 million match campaign through Dinkytown Athletes. New memberships, upgraded memberships or contributions will be matched 1 to 1 by Nepsis. Matched funds will be used to benefit the Gopher Football and Gopher Volleyball programs.
Please allow 14 business days for new Dinkytown Athletes contributions to be reflected in Gopher Score.
About the Golden Gopher Fund
The Golden Gopher Fund is the fundraising arm of Gopher Athletics and is responsible for providing the financial resources for Gopher Athletics to provide a transformational academic and athletic experience. The Golden Gopher Fund works toward that goal by connecting donors with our 600 student-athletes on a daily basis and works tirelessly to build a community of passionate supporters. We thank the Golden Gopher Fund members who have generously supported Gopher student-athletes. Golden Gopher Fund donors have collectively given more than $113.6 million over the past three years.
Dinkytown Athletes is the official name, image and likeness (NIL) collective of Gopher Athletics, and provides a platform for student-athletes at the University of Minnesota to create and develop NIL opportunities with businesses and sponsors. NIL has created a pathway and support structure for athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness. Dinkytown Athletes works with athletes from the University of Minnesota to help them capitalize on this new opportunity.
A week after rallying for a one-point win against Southern California and giving fans a modicum of hope that the season wasn’t entirely lost, Maryland football squandered all those good vibes by getting clobbered by host Minnesota, 48-23, on Saturday evening before an announced 48,696 at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
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Coming off an overtime victory in their preseason exhibition game against Quinnipiac last weekend, the Huskies looked to continue their strong start against Minnesota in their first two regular-season games of the season. However, UConn faced multiple challenges throughout the weekend resulting in a 0-2 start to their season.
In the home opener on Friday night, Minnesota dominated the game from the start, scoring all their goals in the first period. Forward Abbey Murphey opened the scoring for the Golden Gophers just twenty seconds into the first period. Two minutes later, Minnesota scored yet again thanks to sophomore Emma Kreisz, who was named to the NCAA Rookie of the Year Watch List due to her breakout freshman year last season. The Huskies struggled to keep the puck out of their zone resulting in Minnesota scoring two more goals in the first period. The Huskies went into the second period trailing 0-4.
UConn looked to turn things around in the second period and did so seven minutes into the period, as junior forward Megan Woodworth scored the first regular-season goal for the Huskies. Despite this, the Huskies failed to get pucks on net and lost to the Golden Gophers 1-4.
UConn women’s hockey kicked off their season at home against the University of Minnesota on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. The huskies fight until the end of the game, but ultimately lose 4-1.UConn women’s hockey kicked off their season at home against the University of Minnesota on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. The huskies fight until the end of the game, but ultimately lose 4-1.
On a positive note, the Huskies had an impressive penalty kill in the last six minutes of the game, when Jada Habisch was sent to the penalty box for a major. Senior goalie Tia Chan made several impressive saves and ended the night with 34 total saves, 27 of them from the second and third periods.
Minnesota’s ability to outshoot the Huskies and win 27 out of the 49 faceoffs resulted in their victory, leaving the Huskies looking for a comeback in their game the next day.
UConn and Minnesota faced off again Saturday afternoon. The Huskies changed the outcome from the previous game, taking an early lead in the first period. Senior forward Riley Grimley opened the scoring just seven minutes into the first period with a power play goal, giving UConn the lead and the confidence to take on the rest of the game.
The second period was scoreless for both teams as UConn goalie Megan Warrener made a career-high 45 saves, 14 of them in the second period to keep the Golden Gophers off the score board.
Minnesota was awarded a penalty shot with less than five minutes left in the second period, but Warrener protected the net and sent the Huskies into the third period still up 1-0.
UConn women’s hockey kicked off their season at home against the University of Minnesota on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. The huskies fight until the end of the game, but ultimately lose 4-1.
Minnesota responded quickly though, scoring just 26 seconds into the third period to tie the game. However, senior forward Brianna Ware put the Huskies right back in the lead 21 seconds later scoring her 8th career goal. The back-and-forth battle continued with Minnesota and UConn. While both sides were split in faceoff wins, the Golden Gophers still had a significant more number of shots to the net, outshooting the Huskies with 48 shots compared to UConn’s 13.
With only six minutes remaining in regulation, Minnesota forward Natalie Mlynkova kept the the Golden Gophers alive by scoring a goal to send the game into overtime.
Minnesota beat the Huskies to the net as Abbey Murphey, the leading goal scorer for Minnesota, scored the overtime winner.
The back-to-back losses are not the way the Huskies were looking to start their season, but they still remain the top pick to finish in first place by the Hockey East preseason polls.
Heading into their next game, the Huskies will need to work on getting pucks to the net as Minnesota outshot them in both games. Goalies Chan and Warrener came up big for the Huskies blocking several shots in each game to give the Huskies a chance. Fans should keep an eye on Habisch, the leading goal scorer for the Huskies last season, to remain a powerful force throughout this season.
The Huskies will look to turn their season around in their next two game home series against Pennsylvania State this Friday and Saturday. The Penn State Nittany Lions are in a similar situation to the Huskies as they are also coming off a two-game losing streak to Northeastern. Both UConn and Penn State will be looking to get their first regular-season win and it no doubt will be a battle on both ends.
Puck drop for both games will be at 3 p.m. this Friday and Saturday at the Toscano Family Ice Forum.
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — A pair of rare Amur tiger cubs are making their public debut at the Minnesota Zoo, raising hopes for preserving an endangered species that’s native to far eastern Russia and northern China.
Andrei and Amaliya got to venture outside and feel the grass of their new home under their paws Wednesday for the first time since their 12-year-old mother, Dari, gave birth on May 23.
“They’ve done quite well since then,” zoologist Trista Fischer said. “We’ve monitored them very closely. Dari’s been fantastic. She’s provided outstanding maternal care. And so today we’ve reached the point where they’re fully vaccinated and they’re now about 40 to 45 pounds (18-20 kilograms).”
Scientists estimate the Amur tiger population is just around 400 to 500 in the wild. They were near the brink of extinction in the 1930s and 1940s but have recovered somewhat since then. It’s tricky to breed them, and around one in four Amur cubs don’t make it to adulthood, whether it’s in the wild or in captivity, she said. Poachers are another major threat.
But the Minnesota Zoo, located in the Minneapolis suburb of Apple Valley, has a long history of conserving tigers. Its Amur tigers have produced 57 cubs, 46 of which survived for at least 30 days. Of those 46, 21 have gone on to produce litters of their own, amounting to another 86 cubs. The births of Andrei and Amaliya raised the zoo’s population to seven Amur tigers, including their sire, Luka.
Fischer is the leading coordinator for the Tiger Species Survival Plan, a breeding program in the United States with facilities in other countries that works on a global level to preserve the big cats. The plan manages three groups of tigers: Sumatran, Malayan and Amur.
“This litter is so valuable to the population right now,” she explained, saying the genetic diversity of heathy tigers in human care could someday be used to help support populations in the wild.
Zoo spokesperson Zach Nugent said the cubs will remain housed together with their mom for about 18 months, before Andrei, the male, is moved to separate housing, around the same time a male cub in the wild would start venturing out on his own. Amaliya, the female, may spend a little more time with Dari, up to 24 months. Then Fischer will determine whether either cub should be bred, and potentially moved for that to another accredited zoo, which typically happens after the cubs are 2 years old.
“Aww, I love when they get their little Yoda ears,” Fischer said referring to the pointy ears of the Star Wars character as she watched Amaliya and Andrei explore the new terrain of their enclosure. She said it was an emotional, exciting and proud moment for her and her team.
“Our work’s not over, but all that work so far is really paying off in how well that these cubs are acclimating to a new surrounding, pretty much immediately,” she said as the little tigers roamed outside with their mother. “They’re showing a lot of resiliency, which is something that we work hard for in human care. We want these animals to have a lot of confidence and be able to adapt to new environments just as they’re doing today.”
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AP writer Steve Karnowski reported from Minneapolis.
