On 2 June two Sumatran cubs were born in Chester Zoo. It is the Zoo’s Sumatran tigress 2nd litter, the first was born in 2011. The two newborns will be off-exhibit until everything checked out all right, and they will be strong enough to face the challenge of being on display.
The birth of the two new cubs took place behind the scenes, but the whole process was captured by the CCTV that was installed in the enclosure. The remarkable footage shows the birth of the first of the two cubs, while the father pays no attention at all to the event. He even walks away.
To increase diversity of the Sumatran tiger gene pool in Europe the cubs from the first litter of Chester Zoo’s tigress have moved to other European zoos.
The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae) breeding programme in which Chester Zoo participate could prove vital to the survival of this endangered species. The numbers in the wild of Sumatran tigers are believed to be as few as just 300 – 400, and they are regarded Critically Endangered according the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™.
(Source: Zooborns, 16.06.2013; Chester Zoo YouTube channel, 06.06.2013)
