At three weeks old these tiny tiger triplets have taken their first big leaps into the outside world. Born on January 2nd we covered the moment the tigers were born here – Hidden cameras capture rare tigers first moments.
Eight year old mother Kirana has been showing the cubs off outside and is quite proud of her new offspring. Their father is 7 year old Fabi.
Tim Rowlands, the curator of mammals for Chester Zoo said, “It’s still early days but Kirana is an experienced mum and she’s keeping her cubs very well protected. She’s doing everything we would hope at this stage.”
Check out this video of the cubs exploring for the first time.
Only 300-400 Sumatran tigers are left on the Indonesian Island of Sumatra. Their body parts are popular in traditional medicine and their habitat is being destroyed. Part of these forests are being used to farm palm oil.
“Sumatran tigers are one of the rarest big cat species in the world. That’s what makes our new tiger trio so incredibly special – they’re a rare boost to an animal that’s critically endangered,” added Rowlands.
These tigers will be part of a breeding program as Rowlands explained, “The arrival of this latest trio of cubs is vital to the ongoing survival of the species and the back-up population found in zoos. They are now part of a safety-net against the population in the wild becoming extinct which, to me, is incredibly humbling.”
For now the cubs are being left to bond with their mom but in a few weeks keepers will be able to determine their gender and then decide on names.
In June 2015 the cubs will get a new home in Chester Zoo’s Island’s habitat. It is the largest development in UK zoo history.
Photo Credits: Chester Zoo
