Melbourne Zoo: Hidden camera captures tiger’s leap for breakfast

VIDEO: WHEN Sumatran tiger Hutan spots his breakfast you don’t want to get in his way. So we hid a camera to snare a “prey’s eye view” of him leaping for his brekkie at Melbourne Zoo.

• Best animals to see at Melbourne Zoo

A TIGER at Melbourne Zoo has provided a rare and chilling perspective of what it must be like to be about to be devoured.

Sumatran tiger Hutan, who turns seven on Thursday, effortlessly leapt five metres straight up a tree to snaffle a piece of beef for breakfast and to glare directly into the Herald Sun’s concealed camera, providing a “prey’s eye view”.

Hutan’s alert hunter’s eyes, gold and black markings, sharp claws, wiry white whiskers and raw physical power are shown in vivid detail.

Zoo staff were delighted with the images and video of the 120kg cat in action.

Eye of the tiger: Melbourne Zoo’s Hutan spots his meal. Picture: David Caird

A hungry Hutan wastes no time in climbing up a tree to his meal. Picture: David Caird

Eye of the tiger: Hutan scales a large tree in his enclosure to get his breakfast. Picture: David Caird

Hutan bites into brekkie. Picture: David Caird

Hutan bites into brekkie. Picture: David Caird

Tiger Hutan licks his lips after an enjoyable breakfast. Picture: David Caird

Carnivores Manager Adrian Howard said: “You certainly wouldn’t want to be looking at that in person.

“He appears to be looking right at the camera. Those eyes just pierce through you and that’s amazing. He’s one handsome looking boy.”

In 24 years working at the zoo — and 15 years looking after tigers — Mr Howard had never seen a tiger from such an angle.

“It’s really amazing to see, a unique perspective,” he said.

“We see lots of photos of tigers on the ground, but we know that they are a really agile forest species able to ambush and run after their prey wherever it goes.

“It’s a great demonstration of their power.”

Male tiger Hutan turns 7 on Thursday. Picture: David Caird

Sumatran tiger Hutan at Melbourne Zoo. Picture: David Caird

Hutan as a cub having his first vet check in 2010.

Mr Howard said arborists, tiger keepers, Herald Sun photographer David Caird and Hutan himself had created a set of “spectacular” images.

“It gives us to get a new perspective which hopefully creates some action around our palm oil campaign.”

The zoo was pushing for labelling of palm oil products in the hope that greater consumer awareness will help halt deforestation, particularly in Indonesia, where the Sumatran Tiger’s jungle habitat was rapidly disappearing, Mr Howard said.

Sumatran tigers are the most endangered of all tigers with fewer than 300 surviving in the wild.

A similar number lives in zoos participating in an international breeding program.

Melbourne Zoo’s carnivore keepers have prepared some special birthday treats for Hutan and his sister Indrah today, including a frozen “layer cake” of beef stock, milk, and blood.

Their littermates Rani and Aceh will celebrate their birthdays at the Darling Downs Zoo and National Zoo in Canberra where they were moved to as part of the regional breeding program.

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