Taronga Announces the Birth of Three Rare Tiger Cubs

Taronga Announces the Birth of Three Rare Tiger Cubs

#Conservation, #Taronga Zoo Sydney

Posted on 01st February 2019 by Media Relations

You can now visit our three adorable Tiger cubs at Tiger Trek, Taronga Zoo Sydney. Buy your zoo tickets online before you visit and save up to 20%!

 

We are so excited to announce the birth of three critically endangered Sumatran Tiger cubs at Taronga Zoo Sydney! With as few as 350 Sumatran Tigers left in the wild, the birth of these adorable cubs is an incredible success story for this rare species.

First-time mother Kartika gave birth to the cubs on Thursday 17 January. The cubs’ father, Clarence, was carefully introduced to Kartika in October 2018 to determine their compatibility.

Each cub is growing and developing beautifully, weighing in at around 4kg each. With every day they're becoming more playful and will soon begin to eat solid food, groom and venture further from their den.

Tiger cubs get weighed
Tiger cubs get weighed

The biggest threats to this species in the wild is habitat loss due to unsustainable palm oil plantations and the illegal wildlife trade. To help prevent the extinction of this species, Taronga is part of a regional breeding program – since October 1980, 21 tigers have been born at Taronga. 

Our Carnivore Keepers are happy to report that first-time mum Kartika is doing well. It’s still early days in the cubs' development and keepers are monitoring their progress closely. Right now the cubs are growing and suckling for milk.

Keepers expect that over the next 4-6 weeks, the cubs will find their feet, groom and play more with each other, and clamber out of the nest – Kartika will have a hard time keeping them under control!

The cubs, yet to be named, are expected to make their first appearance in late March, however you can view them via CCTV footage at Taronga Zoo Sydney.

Find out more about Sumatran Tigers here