Hilo zoo throwing a birthday party for its tiger

Advertiser Staff

HILO, Hawai'i — The Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo at Hilo will celebrate the sixth birthday of white Bengal tiger Namaste with a day of family activities on Oct. 2.

Namaste came to the zoo as a 7-month-old, 80-pound cub in 1999. Now he's a full-grown adult and weighs in at more than 500 pounds.

When he stretches, he is more than 8 feet long.

Namaste was hand-raised in Las Vegas and donated to the zoo by magician Dirk Arthur, who was impressed with the zoo's one-acre enclosure. "Namaste" is a Sanskrit greeting similar to "aloha."

At 9:30 a.m. Oct. 2, Namaste will be presented with an ice cake topped with six bone candles. Later in the day, he will receive his birthday present, a toy mouse filled with catnip.

There will be music, keiki games and crafts, face painting, and spin art, with free cake at noon provided by KTA Superstores and Safeway, and ice cream donated by Meadow Gold Dairies.

The petting zoo will be open between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m., a 3 p.m. drawing will benefit the new Primate Enclosure, and there will be a special birthday dinner feeding of the tiger at 3:30 p.m.

The Pana'ewa zoo is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and admission is free. Call (808) 959-9233 or visit www.hilozoo.com.