Guests at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park had the opportunity to see an endangered Sumatran tiger cub this morning at the Park’s Paul Harter Animal Care Center. The male cub, born Sept. 24, had been hand-reared at the Animal Care Center. Keepers say the health of the cub has improved greatly under veterinary care.
The cub came under direct care of animal care staff a few days after his birth, when it was determined that he was not receiving proper nourishment from first-time tiger mother, Joanne. The cub has been making steady progress and now weighs 17 pounds. He’s active, and he is starting to eat some meat and bone solids.
The male cub is growing under the watchful eyes of the Animal Care Staff.
Park guests will have the opportunity to view the cub, starting today, at the Animal Care Center—either in the special care nursery window, or around the corner in the “pie stall” next to Nairobi Station—daily from 9:30 to 11:20 a.m. and again from 3 to 3:45 p.m.
The cub, which has not been named, is the 26th endangered Sumatran tiger born at the Safari Park, and he is the first cub to be hand-raised at the Park since 1984. At the care center, he is bottle-fed with a formula made especially for carnivores, seven times a day. The formula is made from goat’s milk and is easy for the cub to digest.
Animal care staff will begin taking the Sumatran tiger cub on special introductory visits to the Tull Family Tiger Trail habitat, where he is expected to eventually live full-time. The Tiger Trail habitat is home to six other Sumatran tigers.
Photo taken Dec. 2, 2015 by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
