ZSL London has shared photos of the three critically endangered tigers that were born there at the end of last month.
On June 27th, ten-year-old Gaysha gave birth to the Sumatran tiger cubs, which was revealed on the zoo’s hidden ‘cubcam’.
While Gaysha, as well as dad Asim, have kept their cubs safe and protected in their den over the last few weeks, ZSL London has finally given the public a glimpse of the creatures with some close-up photos.
ZSL London Zoo tiger keeper Kathryn Sanders said Gaysha and Asim have been devoted to the care of the babies and they have reached their milestones, including opening their eyes, feeding, and taking their first steps.
“While we’re keeping a close eye via cubcam, we’re also taking care not to disturb the family so that they can continue to bond together - we can’t wait to get to know the little ones as they grow bigger and begin to explore their surroundings,” Ms Sanders stated.
The three cubs have not yet been given names, as the zookeepers are waiting until they receive their vaccinations at three months old, and vets can confirm their genders.
Their births come as part of the collaborative global breeding programme for Sumatran tigers, as zoos try to boost the declining population of this species.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are less than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the world, due to “accelerating deforestation ad rampant poaching”.
Since 2013, ZSL has added eight cubs to its Tiger Territory programme.
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