BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo recently announced the debut of its Malayan tiger cubs, who were born on July 29th. While these beautiful babies are the fifth and sixth Malayan cubs born in the U.S. this year, they are the first tiger cubs born at the Baton Rouge Zoo in almost 25 years.
“Among big cats, first-time mothers can commonly be incompetent in caring for their young, which can sometimes result in none of the cubs surviving,” says assistant director and general curator Sam Winslow. “Therefore we were very pleased that two of the four cubs have survived. As with any animal birth, we’re optimistic and excited, but know that the first couple of weeks are a very delicate time in the survival of the cubs. The mother is very protective of the cubs and any interference could jeopardize them.”
So, the two cubs will remain in the tiger den with their mother for about three months until they are strong enough to navigate the space independently.
Right now, the staff is so careful about leaving the family undisturbed that the cubs’ gender won’t be known until they receive their first vaccinations at four weeks of age. After that, the staff is likely to ask for public input to name the tiny tigers.
In the interim, visitors can watch the cubs on the zoo’s new Tiger Cam stationed outside the exhibit. The feed can also be viewed on the Zoo’s website.
The cubs were born to the zoo’s female Malayan tiger, who came to the Zoo in 2009 from the Fort Worth Zoo, and the zoo’s male Malayan tiger, who arrived from the Little Rock Zoo in 2012.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome these cubs,” says Baton Rouge Zoo director Phil Frost. “This is something that’s been in the works since we first designed the Realm of the Tiger exhibit. During that process, we took into deep consideration the number of dens we would need, the subspecies of tigers that would be living there and their recommendations for breeding within the Species Survival Plan (SSP).”
As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the Baton Rouge Zoo participates in the international SSP program, which coordinates the breeding of threatened or endangered species. The Baton Rouge Zoo is involved in 50 SSPs, which include everything from Louisiana pine snakes to primates and big cats to elephants. Some SSPs involve breeding; others require holding animals to prevent them from being over bred.
With a nature range that stretches down Thailand’s Malay Peninsula, this subspecies is the smallest tiger species and was first recognized in 2004. Since fewer than 500 are estimated to exist in the wild, Malayan tigers are considered as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The primary threats against the subspecies have been poaching and habitat loss due to deforestation and urbanization.
“The Baton Rouge Zoo is an active participant in tiger conservation, and the birth of these cubs is just one piece of what we do,” Frost says. “The responsible breeding of Malayan tigers in accordance with the SSP provides a genetically diverse tiger population to serve as somewhat of a ‘genetic insurance policy’ for their wild counterparts.”
In addition to the SSP, the Baton Rouge Zoo also supports projects internationally that are dedicated to mitigating human-tiger conflict, protecting tiger habitats, researching tiger ecology and monitoring tiger populations.
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Huck was found with my siblings at a local business and taken to Animal Control. This spunky orange-and-white tabby good with other cats and kids.
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Phoebe was taken to Animal Control by her owner after she had kittens. This one-year-old is a very laid back and affectionate girl who gets along well with other cats and dogs. But more than anything else, she loves children.
Buffy and her siblings were born stray. A neighbor rescued the kittens and brought them to Cat Haven. This little dilute calico is a sweet kitty who gets along well with other cats and kids.
Nebula was recently rescued from Animal Control. Besides having a gorgeous pale brown tabby coat and light eyes, this five-month-old gets along well with cats and people of all ages. But, this friendly and playful boy is afraid of big dogs.
Curly Sue was found crying outside of a second story window, where she was lost or abandoned. This six-year-old American curl mix is a plus size girl with lots of love to give. She’d prefer to be an only pet. She is suited to a home with adults and possibly older children.
Huck was found with my siblings at a local business and taken to Animal Control. This spunky orange-and-white tabby good with other cats and kids.
Whitney and her siblings were found on LSU sorority row. Fortunately, a student rescued them and brought them to Cat Haven. This tuxedo girl is a friendly kitty who gets along well with kids and other cats. She hasn’t been around dogs; but with a proper introduction, she should do fine.
