The critically endangered Sumatran tiger cub triplets at West Midlands Safari Park are ready to be named following a health check and have taken their first steps outdoors.
The tiny trio arrived on Friday 17 January 2025, to mum, 13-year-old Dourga, so now, at eight-weeks-old, they have had their first health checks, confirming the sex of each cub.
The health check, carried out by the Park’s experienced veterinary team and keepers, confirmed that there are two girls and a boy.
They also weighed the cubs, checked them over, took identification pictures and gave them their first vaccinations, so that they were ready to venture into the outdoors for the first time.
Veterinary Surgeon, Lindsey Baines, said,
“We are delighted that we have three healthy Sumatran tiger cubs. The vet team have been monitoring their development carefully since they were born, through the CCTV to ensure there were no issues. Their first health checks and vaccinations all went swimmingly, and they are developing as we would expect with no concerns.”
Veterinary Nurse, Sarah Smith, added,
“The cubs have been showing their own characters recently and we really saw their feisty side during their examinations! We were thrilled to discover that we have two females and one male and loved watching them venture outside and explore for the first time on Monday. The next steps are a health check at 12 weeks, then they can venture into the wider ‘Tiger Tropics’ habitat.”
Now keepers know the sex of the cubs, they have chosen the name ‘Nova’ for one of the girls and the remaining two cubs will have names chosen by the public.
On Monday 17 March, the cubs took their first steps into the outdoors, under the watchful eye of mum and keepers.
As soon as the door opened to the outside cubbing area, Dourga came out to do a quick check to make sure it was safe, then returned to the cubs, ‘chuffing’ at them to encourage them to follow her. A chuff is a low and soft noise which tigers use as a friendly greeting, or in this case, to comfort cubs.
Soon, three little stripy heads all appeared at the doorway, peering out into the gentle breeze and it was the male who took the first tentative steps outside, keeping his tummy to the ground for safety.
His sisters soon followed and seemed delighted to see big sister, Lestari who is almost two, watching them curiously from the other side of the fence.
Lestari was equally as excited and also started chuffing at the cubs, interacting with them through the fence and running alongside to keep up with them as they explored their new habitat.
Soon after, the first guests started to arrive and were thrilled to be able to glimpse the trio for the first time through new viewing opportunities alongside the outdoor habitat.
The birth of the cubs was a milestone moment for the Park, as it is estimated that there may be fewer than 4,0000 tigers left in the wild, with only around 400 of those being Sumatran tigers.
This makes them one of the most endangered of the subspecies, but all tigers in the wild face an uncertain future, due to habitat loss, conflict with humans and poaching for the illegal trade in tiger body parts.
The Sumatran tigers at the Safari Park are part of an EEP (EAZA Ex-Situ Programme), which is a collaboration between European zoos, aiming to conserve endangered species.
The Park also partners with conservation organisation, WildCats Conservation Alliance and donates annually to the Kerinci Seblat Tiger Protection Project which operates tiger protection and conservation units in Indonesia.
All animals born at the Park this year, will have names beginning with ‘N’, hence why one of the girls is called Nova, which means ‘new star’.
Following the 12-week health check, Dourga and the cubs will have access to the wider ‘Tiger Tropics’ area, where sister, Lestari and dad, Nakal can currently be seen.
West Midlands Safari Park is open daily for its summer season and guests can book in advance online for the best prices, which also includes a free return visit.
More information is available on the Park’s website: www.wmsp.co.uk