Dhenuka, a six-year-old male Amur Tiger, is out and about at the Rolling Hills Zoo. Dhenuka will join Andrea, a female Amur Tiger that arrived in November, with hopes of future tiger cubs.

Andrea was born at the St. Louis Zoo in 2008. She spent time at the Indianapolis Zoo, where she had her first cub. Andrea went on display at the Rolling Hills Zoo in late December. She is just shy of 300 pounds and is dwarfed by her new male counterpart.

Following a mandatory 30-day quarantine, Dhenuka was put on display in early March, but according to Linda Henderson, director of development and marketing, he is just now becoming more active.

“For the longest time he would just go out on the pad,” Henderson said. “Tigers can be funny that way. They are actually pretty shy animals.”

Dhenuka and Andrea are currently kept in separate enclosures, divided by a fence. Henderson said that they will remain near each other until they are introduced into the same enclosure sometime in the near future.

Introducing tigers can be a dangerous undertaking and Henderson said crews will be on hand with fire hoses and emergency equipment, should something go awry. “Around the world, about four or five tigers are killed each year during introductions,” Henderson said. “It is just part of the process. And he, in comparison, is a lot bigger than Andrea.”

The tiger’s gestation period is between three and four months. According to Henderson, The Rolling Hills Zoo could have their first tiger cubs by the end of the year.