Meet the Sumatran tiger cubs and their keeper at Dublin Zoo

I saw the new tiger cubs at Dublin Zoo today. Here’s a photo of them:

This is their first day in public and the second time they’ve been with their father, Kepala. They’re Sumatran Tiger cubs, one male, one female and were born on May 29. There’s actually a lovely story in that - which I’ll let one of the zookeepers tell you later. The male cub weighed in at 1kg at birth with the female a mere .85kg

As few as 400 Sumatran Tigers are in survival in the wild, so this addition to the critically endangered species is a testament to the successful breeding programme in place at Dublin Zoo. Here’s an interview with Anita, one of their keepers:

The tiger’s mother, Sigra, took very naturally to them apparently, having had cubs who are now part of the global breeding programme. She prowled around the enclosure this morning with the cubs this morning, keeping a close eye on them while still in view of Kepala. She didn’t take too kindly to any sort of intrusion by the milling press and photographers:

I haven’t been to the zoo for ages so the invitation was a welcome one. The tiger cubs proved very popular with the waiting crowds, both photographers and families who milled around the enclosure windows hoping to get a glimpse. For a long time all we were treated to was Kepala, making sure there was no messing going on.

Speaking about this birth, Zoo director Leo Oosterweghel said today “You never know what is going to happen when you introduce two big cats, so we are delighted with this spectacular result. The bigger picture is of course that these cubs will help us to introduce our visitors to the plight of this critically endangered cat as well as making a huge contribution to the global breeding programme.”

The keepers are delighted with how the tigers are progressing and keeping a close eye on their personalities. The female cub is said to be a “very intelligent and inquisitive creature” while the male is already “displaying his father’s traits with a boisterous nature and a striking masculine appearance”.

As far as the public and keepers could tell, the family appear to be bonding very well. This is apparently unusual in that the mother normally takes the whole burden while the male tigers traditonally live alone and only join females for mating. However Kepala seems to be playing an active role and taking his fatherly duties very seriously.

Dublin Zoo is renowned internationally for playing a significant role in the international breeding programme which is designed to ensure the survival of tigers in their natural habitat. As well as contributing to this breeding programme, when you go to Dublin Zoo, you’ll have the opportunity to support critically endangered species by purchasing a Tiger adoption pack at the Dublin Zoo gift shop

To celebrate the birth, Dublin Zoo is offering a family pass (2 adults and 2 children), a Tiger adoption pack plus a guide book at the special price of just €60 from today and throughout August. There will also be special Sumatran tiger talks and tiger face painters free of charge over the long weekend.

Photos supplied by Dublin zoo (and some by meself)

There’ll be a competition soon to name the cubs. Have you any suggestions?