Paignton Zoo’s four rare Sumatran tigers cubs are making a tentative public debut.
They will be given access to the public enclosure from Saturday, but staff stress that they could be hard to spot for a time.
Paignton Zoo spokesperson Phil Knowling said: “At eight weeks the cubs are quite mobile and inquisitive but they still sleep a lot during the day. They will become more active over the coming weeks. It is exciting, but if people can keep quiet when they are at the tiger enclosure then they are more likely to see the cubs.”
The cubs were born overnight on Thursday 5th February during a snowstorm to male Tenang and female Banda. For the last eight weeks they have been hidden away in a den, being cared by their mother.
Zoo vets have now micro-chipped the cubs and given them the same vaccinations a domestic kitten receives. They have also been sexed – there are two males, two females. The two male cubs are now 8 kilos and 7 kilos and the females 7 kilos and 6 kilos. Each cub has a unique pattern of stripes.
Zoos do not simply breed rare species indiscriminately. Paignton Zoo is a member of the European Endangered species Programme (EEP) for Sumatran tigers, which means it is part of the global effort to save this endangered species from extinction. Captive and wild populations are protected and managed in an attempt to prevent Sumatran tigers following the Bali and Javan tigers into extinction.
Curators plan ahead to make sure animals will have places in other collections. For high profile EEPs their destination may be planned before they are even born. An animal’s ranking in the breeding programme changes as its genes become better represented in the population. Tenang is currently ranked number 1 in the Sumatran tiger EEP and Banda is number 20, so they are both important animals.
The newborns are already stars of the internet, appearing on Paignton Zoo’s own web site, www.paigntonzoo.org.uk , and on Facebook and You Tube. Now, cameras and a plasma screen are being erected at the tiger enclosure to help visitors get a better view.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is a registered charity. For more information go to www.paigntonzoo.org.uk or ring (01803) 697500.
ENDS
Further information
Philip Knowling, Paignton Zoo Environmental Park Press Officer, 01803 697568
Telephone: 01803 697568
Fax: 01803 523457
www.paigntonzoo.org.uk
www.livingcoasts.org.uk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:
The information contained herein is confidential, may be legally privileged and is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this message by anyone other than the intended recipient is unauthorised. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it is prohibited and may be unlawful. Any attachments to this message have been checked for viruses but please rely on your own virus checker and procedures. If you contact me by email, please be aware that I may store your details in order to facilitate communication.
Philip Knowling 01803 697568
