Surprise! Sioux Falls Great Plains Zoo Welcomes Mila the Tiger

The Great Plains Zoo and Butterfly House & Aquarium just gave Sioux Falls an early Christmas present!

Say hello to the newest Amur Tiger in the Sioux Empire, Mila. The Great Plains Zoo and Butterfly House & Aquarium staff are thrilled to welcome her to their family.

Get our free mobile app

Great Plains Zoo (via Facebook)

The Great Plains Zoo dropped the exciting news of Mila's arrival in a Facebook post.

Great Plains Zoo (via Facebook)

Mila is two-years-old and was born in Ohio at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in 2023. Mila made the long journey to her new home in Sioux Falls this past fall. Great Plains Zoo and Butterfly House & Aquarium can't wait for you to meet this pretty girl!

Since she arrived at the Great Plains Zoo, Mila has been getting to know her new habitat, her zookeepers, and her "neighbor" Zuzaan.

Mila and Zuzaan’s placement is part of the Amur Tiger Species Survival Plan, with the hope that they will breed in the future. Zuzaan arrived in Sioux Falls from Rosamond Gifford Zoo early this summer. He is also two years old.

Staff at the Great Plains Zoo say that Mila's personality is already shining through! They describe her as "brave," "playful," and very "engaged" with her care team.

When Can Sioux Falls Meet Mila?

The Great Plains Zoo explains that Amur Tigers live independently by nature. Zoo goers can expect Zuzaan and Mila to alternate days in the exhibit. You can check out the magnet board inside the Asian Cats pagoda to see who is out and about!

What a beautiful cat! Welcome to Sioux Falls, Mila!

South Dakota's Weird Exotic Animal Laws Are Amazing

Have an interesting pet or looking to get one? Check this out from South Dakota Exotic Animal Laws before you go trying to adopt one.

You will need a zoo permit to harbor a raccoon dog. That's a real species. It's a small wild dog with a black facial mask and long fur, native to the forests of Asia.

Gallery Credit: Danny V

The Coldest Temperatures EVER in Sioux Falls

When a polar vortex rolls through Sioux Falls, it can get even the heartiest dreaming of indoor fires, baking, and hot chocolate.

Mr. Bendo is tough enough but for the love of Pete, someone put a scarf on the Statue of David!

All this icy chatter had us wondering about the coldest days ever recorded in Sioux Falls. Here is the historical data from the National Weather Service with the coldest temps ever recorded in Sioux Falls since record-keeping began in 1893.

Gallery Credit: Danny V

Source: Surprise! Sioux Falls Great Plains Zoo Welcomes Mila the Tiger