The keepers of Zoo Wroclawthe Wrocław Zoo, described a birth in its enclosures as a “rare miracle”. Over the course of the summer, four Sumatran tiger cubs, a subspecies in danger of extinction, came into the world.
Nuri and Tengah’s babies are three males and one female, two adult specimens already used for reproduction. The couple had given birth to another Sumatran tiger, now moved to Tierpark Cottbus, Germany.
The four tiger cubs opened their eyes on July 22, but zoo staff kept the news a secret by monitoring the health of the litter. Only recently, on October 16, did the puppies take their first steps in the enclosure together with their parents, sharing with them their first experiences in captivity. On the other side of the panel, zoo visitors observe them.
Bolesny poniedziałek? Nic z tego! Next to the pierwszego wyjścia na wybieg naszych czterech tygrysów…
Posted by ZOO Wrocław on Monday, October 21, 2024
They play actively, are fed by the team that takes care of the large carnivores, growing healthy and strong. They now weigh around 8kg. The four tigers have all the eyes in the world on them. The mayor of Wroclaw, Jacek Sutryk, also congratulated the zoo on this achievement.
The birth of four Sumatran tigers is the biggest breeding success in recent years and an unprecedented event, a truly global sensation,” commented Sutryk.
In 2024, births of Sumatran tigers were recorded in only 4 zoos in Europe. Furthermore, the Wroclaw Zoo is the only one in Poland to breed these critically endangered predators in their habitat.
They are estimated to survive around 400 specimens of Sumatran tiger in the wild. The remainder are found in zoos in various countries, included in breeding programs for the conservation of this feline, the smallest tiger subspecies.
As Zoo Wroclaw proudly writes on its website, “Wroclaw Zoo has a long tradition of breeding Sumatran tigers“. Although the structure also finances parks in Indonesia and supports the fight against poaching, “its” tigers will live far from their home in a network of agreements between zoos and zoos. And they make no secret of it.
The fact that these cubs are three males and only one female makes their confinement in captivity indispensable because female tigers are more common in zoos. Males could therefore “help balance their populations in zoos.”
They were born in zoos and will spend all their days in zoos from now on. The issue continues to raise doubts about the effectiveness of “saving” endangered species by locking them up in enclosures for life.
