Taronga Zoo Sydney is thrilled to announce that the three rare Sumatran Tiger cubs born earlier this year made their public debut today in the immersive Sumatran Tiger Trek. The cubs made their very first public appearance at the Ranger Station exhibit, with their mother Kartika just in time for the autumn school holidays.

Taronga Zoo Sydney also announced the names of the female cubs as Mawar (rose in Indonesian) and Tengah Malam (midnight in Indonesian), and the male cub as Pemanah (archer in Indonesian).

The cubs were born on 17 January, and in that time have gone from strength to strength, opening their eyes, learning to walk independently and play with each other, and they are now beginning to eat meat while still suckling their mother’s milk.

The cubs are increasingly rare in the wild, with as few as 350 Sumatran Tigers remaining after devastating jungle clearing for unsustainable palm oil plantations and the illegal wildlife trade. Taronga’s Tiger Trek, where the cubs can be seen, shows guests how simple shopping choices can help protect the Tigers’ habitat in the wild.

Mandy Everett, Precinct Manager of Exotics at Taronga Zoo Sydney said that she couldn’t hope for better ambassadors for their wild counterparts.

“This is the first time that they have walked outside the Tiger dens with their mother, which has uneven terrain for them to explore. The dens have smooth, flat ground which helped when they were first learning to walk, so they will still be a little unsteady for a while yet,” said Ms Everett.

“Moving to the Tiger Trek Ranger Station also poses a challenge for Kartika, who could keep her cubs together in the dens. Now that they are moving about a larger space and learning to climb terrain, she will have a much harder time controlling them,” Ms Everett said.

“This birth is such a wonderful success for the conservation of this fragile species, and I am so excited that we can now invite guests to share our joy,” she said.

“It’s such a shock that these three little cubs represent one per cent of the remaining wild population but with zoo-based conservation programs worldwide and the support of our guests here in Sydney, there’s still hope for the future of this species,” she said.

The new Sumatran Tiger family can be seen at Taronga Zoo Sydney’s Tiger Trek, which is included in every entry ticket. Taronga Zoo Sydney is open from 9:30am to 5pm, and is easily accessible by bus and ferry. Tickets and annual Zoo Friends passes are available for an online discount at taronga.org.au

A behind-the-scenes interview with Louise Ginman, Unit Supervisor Carnivores is also available through the Taronga Talks podcast.

• The three Sumatran Tiger cubs born earlier this year have made their public debut at Taronga Zoo Sydney’s Tiger Trek.
• The two female cubs are named Mawar (rose in Indonesian) and Tengah Malam (midnight in Indonesian), and the male cub is Pemanah (archer in Indonesian).
• The cubs were born at Taronga Zoo Sydney, Thursday 17 January 2019. The first female cub was born between 8-8:30am, with the male cub born at 9:16am, and the second female cub born at 9:46am.
• The mother is Kartika, born at Taronga Zoo Sydney 2011. The father is Clarence, born at Australia Zoo in 2013, and moved to Taronga Zoo Sydney in 2017.
• Guests can see the cubs at Taronga Zoo Sydney’s Tiger Trek. Taronga Zoo Sydney is currently open 9:30am-5pm, with discounted tickets and annual passes available at taronga.org.au.
• Since October 1980, 21 Sumatran Tigers have been born at Taronga Zoo Sydney, as part of an Australasian regional breeding program to maintain an insurance population against extinction in the wild.
• The Sumatran Tiger is critically endangered, with as few as 350 remaining in the jungles of Sumatra, Indonesia.
• Threats to the Sumatran Tiger include land clearing for unsustainable palm-oil plantations, and the illegal wildlife trade.
• Guests can learn more about sustainable palm oil at Taronga Zoo Sydney’s Tiger Trek, and how simple shopping choices in Australia can help these incredible animals in the wild.
• Additionally, tourists travelling across south-east Asia can download Taronga’s Wildlife Witness app to report suspected evidence of the illegal wildlife trade.