Specialist vets and carnivore keepers from Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom have declared their three month old Sumatran tiger cubs to be in purr-fect health.
The cubs were sexed as two males and a female during a health check. Chester Zoo vet, Gabby Drake said, “. It’s really important for us to make sure they’re healthy and in good physical condition and we’re happy to report that all three of the cubs have been given a clean bill of health – they’re in tip-top shape.”
Sumatran tiger cubs live solely on Sumatra an island which is part of Indonesia. They are a critically endangered species in the wild with just 300-400 left. They are regularly poached so their body parts can be used in traditional medicines along with their jungle habitat being destroyed so palm oil plantations can be created.
To help save tigers the zoo is working as part of a European Endangered Species Breeding Programme to ensure they survive and prosper in captivity.
“Sumatran tigers are one of the rarest big cat species in the world and our new triplets are very special cubs indeed,” added Drake.
They kittens also needed their vaccines at this time she explained, “The cubs were given similar vaccines to those a pet cat receives when it’s taken to the vets. Of course we were much more cautious about handling the cubs than we would be with domestic kittens though.”
Drake described 8 year old mother, Kirana as “a very good mother and fiercely protective of her young charges.” This meant keepers “certainly didn’t want to hang around for long” and worked to return the cubs to Kirana quickly.
You can help named the three cubs by voting in the poll that is being conducted on the zoo’s website – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FB9VNXF
Photo Credits: Chester Zoo
