London Zoo Introduce Endangered Sumatran Tiger Cub

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: December 31, 2021 11:53 pm

A Sumatran tiger cub born on December 12th 2021 at ZSL London Zoo is seen on CCTV footage in the den with mother Gaysha

Photo Credit: ZSL London Zoo

ZSL London Zoo have introduced an exciting arrival in their fight to save the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger. An adorable Sumatran tiger cub was born at the zoo on Sunday December 12th 2021.

The zoo have shared photos taken from their cub cam. The remarkable photos show mother Gaysha cleaning and feeding her cub. Within hours of birth the adventurous cub was taking its first wobbly steps.

ZSL London Zoo tiger keeper Lucy Reed said: “We knew Gaysha was nearing full-term as we’d seen her belly grow rapidly over the previous few weeks, so we made her a special cubbing den in anticipation, filling it with soft straw for added comfort – it was there she chose to give birth.”

Gaysha has been making short trips outside the den to stretch her legs but is unlikely the cub will join her until it has had its first vaccinations. It will also be at this time the cub’s gender will be determined.

It was a bittersweet arrival for the tiger team at ZSL London Zoo. Unfortunately this cub was a triplet but its two siblings did not survive the labor.

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Lucy added: “The chunky little cub is doing really well in mum’s excellent care, and definitely takes after dad Asim in terms of size and strength. We’ve seen some key milestones already, with the little one taking its first steps almost immediately and – more recently – opening its eyes, which are always closed for the first few days after birth.

“At the moment, while we’re still keeping a close eye via cubcam, we’re also taking care not to disturb the family so that they can bond together – we can’t wait to get to know the little one as it grows bigger and begins to explore more of its surroundings.”

Gaysha welcomed her latest arrival almost one year to the day after her arrival in London from Denmark.

The new arrival is a boost to the breeding programme for the critically endangered Sumatran tiger population. They are the rarest and smallest subspecies with just 300 left in the wild.

Over the coming days the zoo are seeking names for the cub. These will then be shortlisted by keepers and voted on by ZSL London Zoo keepers.

Learn more about Sumatran Tigers here – Sumatran Tiger Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about ZSL London Zoo on their website – ZSL London Zoo