TULSA The birth of five Malayan tiger cubs at the Tulsa Zoo earlier this month means the facility is now home to 10% of the species’ population in the U.S.
The three male and two female cubs were born Aug. 8-9 to Ava and Raja, according to a zoo release.
Tigers are largely found in isolated pockets of Asia. The Malayan tiger, a subspecies of tiger, resides in the forests of the southern Malay Peninsula. Their population has dwindled since they were discovered through DNA testing in 2004, according to Endangeredtigers.org. The organization reports a three-year camera survey found somewhere between 250-340 Malayan tigers in 2013.
Jordan Piha, curator of mammals at the Tulsa Zoo, said there’s likely less than 200 today, and due to their critically-endangered status, the Zoo wanted to work with the subspecies.
“We're one of the only facilities to hold multiple breeding pairs of tigers,” Piha said. “You know, having these cubs and our previous ones that we've had, that was the whole point. Every time this happens, it's just a reminder that we did the right thing. We built the right exhibits, we put the right people in place to care for it and manage it, and we're having success.”
Both Ava and the cubs will stay in an off-exhibit area until Tulsa Zoo staff are confident the cubs can navigate the exhibit safely. The zoo set up a live feed of the den for the public to view the mother and cubs when visiting the Lost Kingdom building.
Piha said it could be a month before the cubs are seen in the main area of the exhibit.
“It just depends on their mobility,” Piha said. “They are little infants, so not much different in development than a house cat would be at this age. They sort of move and scooch around, but they are really just wanting to be in a pile together and be with their mom. Their eyes are closed, and they need milk and warmth for a bit, but then they’ll start hitting developmental milestones.”
Before the five cubs were born, Piha said there were about 50 Malayan tigers in all of North America. That means Ava gave birth to 10% of that managed population.
“That makes every one of these cubs really special,” Piha said. “People are going to be excited to see them. You can come down to the building, and that TV screen should be on, where you can catch a glimpse of them.”
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