Secret cameras have captured the amazing moment two incredibly rare tiger cubs were born at a UK zoo. The tiny twins arrived at Chester Zoo on January 7th to proud first-time parents, tiger mom Kasarna and her partner Dash.
The births have been heralded as a “major boost for the conservation of these incredible animals”, as the Sumatran tiger sub-species is currently Critically-Endangered.
Zookeepers installed covert cameras in the tiger enclosure to capture the births which also filmed Kasarna mothering the cubs. It’s not clear what sex the newborns are—zookeepers don’t feel like checking under Kasarna’s watchful gaze.
“We’ve been closely monitoring Kasarna on our CCTV cameras as she gets to grips with motherhood and her first litter of cubs,” said Dave Hall, Carnivore Team Manager at Chester Zoo. “It’s a real privilege and incredibly special to watch.”
“She’s a great mom and is being very attentive to her new infants, keeping them snuggled up in the den and feeding them every few hours.”
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There are only 350 Sumatran tigers in the wild and the only surviving population lives in the Indonesian islands of Sunda.
“One day, the pair will hopefully go on to themselves make a vital contribution to the endangered species breeding program, which is now playing a critical role in preventing these majestic animals from becoming extinct,” said Hall.
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“The arrival of the cubs is a real testament to the expertise and scientific work of our teams who, only last year, paired up a female tigress, Kasarna, with a male Sumatran tiger, named Dash,” said Mike Jordan, Director of Animals and Plants at the zoo.
“They were coupled together based on their genetic make-up, age, and character and this news is cause for real celebration among the global conservation community.”
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