Moncton’s Magnetic Hill Zoo has welcomed a record number of visitors this year, and the zoo’s general manager says a new exhibit featuring two Amur tigers is behind the increase.

“We’ve seen about 160,000 come through our front gate, so that’s great. Last year we had 142,000 visitors. This year we’re up to 160,000,” says the zoo’s general manager Bruce Dougan.

“I think they played a significant role. I mean, everybody really loves the new exhibit. I think it got people talking about it in the local area and I think that’s what we can attribute our increase to.”

Not wanting to rest on their record-breaking season, Dougan says the zoo has already secured some new animals, some of which are already on site, but won’t be revealed to the public until spring.

The zoo is open on reduced hours until the end of December, but officials are preparing a new event called Wild Lights to close out the season.

“As you walk down towards the tigers there’s going to be a variety of different decorations in trees and animal displays, lighted animal displays from either side,” says Dougan. “There will be buildings where people can get in and warm up a little bit.”

The same luxury is afforded to the animals when winter settles in for the long run.

“These animals do acclimatize quite well but any of those from a more tropical area that we have here, we do provide obviously very adequate shelter and more often than not, a heated shelter as well,” says curator Jamie Carson.

The animals will stay sheltered until temperatures warm up and the gates open to what zoo officials hope will be another banner year.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis