ALBUQUERQUE AP Mayor Jim Baca says Lucy is the first visitor he's ever had who was content to munch on an old running shoe. The mayor on Monday met the 10-week-old Bengal tiger cub who along with another Bengal cub 6-month-old Scout are on loan for a year to the Rio Grande Zoo. For right now Lucy is being hand-raised by keeper Linda McNatt until she's big enough to defend herself from Scout. The playful cub was a hit at Baca's 11th floor City Hall office where she sat calmly on his lap to have her photo taken while Baca's staff ooohed and aahed from afar. She also romped through the office gnawing on an old tennis shoe. ``I love tigers'' the mayor said. ``They're such magnificent animals.'' Lucy also seemed to take to him. ``She hasn't been that calm with anybody'' said Kent Newton assistant zoo director. Lucy is earning her keep as an ambassador for her kind in the wild. ``It's good to use her for educational purposes because people really do pay attention when you walk in the room with a tiger'' McNatt said. The cub is not on exhibit yet but Scout is occupying an area where the zoo once had white Bengal tigers. The white tigers recently were sent to Wildlife World Zoo outside of Phoenix. ``They were a pleasure for the public to see when we first brought them in but that excitement has waned'' Newton said. White Bengals also aren't as valuable genetically because they are a genetic anomaly and somewhat inbred he said. When the Bengal cubs leave the zoo hopes to bring in endangered Amur tigers also known as Siberian tigers for breeding. There are only about 440 to 500 Amur tigers left in the wild in two or three populations in their natural range of far eastern Russia and northeastern China. ``Siberian tigers are critically endangered so there is a need to breed them in captivity as a hedge against extinction'' Newton said. ``They're beautiful and huge and wonderful for the people to see but in addition we will be contributing to the preservation of that species'' he said. APW19981201.1126.txt.body.html APW19981201.0328.txt.body.html