The Sumatran tiger's extinction is a very important issue - and it's already started.
Their numbers have been drastically dropping in the last 40 years.
However, the species as a whole was given a boost in June 2016, when ZSL London Zoo
welcomed a very special arrival.
The Sumatran tiger, or to give it its scientific name, Panthera Tiger Symmetry is the smallest
of the surviving tiger subspecies.
With male tigers only weighing between 220 to 310 pounds.
The subspecies is further distinguished by its vivid orange coats and thick black stripes.
It favours forests, grasslands, and wetlands as its habitat, and it is Indonesia’s last
surviving species of tiger.
In the wild, these cats are found exclusively on the island of Sumatra.
However, they are at a critically low population.
This is due to them being illegally poached and deforestation of their natural habitat.
Therefore, in 2008, the tiger was classed as being critically endangered on the international
union for conservation of nature's red list of threatened species.
This list is designed to determine an animal's risk of extinction.
However, despite poaching being illegal, punishable by steep fines and jail time in Indonesia,
the practice shows no signs of declining.
This is because there is still apparently a huge market for Tiger products in Sumatra
and the rest of Asia.
And so with the Sumatran Tiger's future looking uncertain, massive efforts have gone into
its conservation.
With that in mind, the United Kingdom's ZSL London Zoo opened its state-of-the-Art Tiger
territory in March 2013.
The $4.8 million facility was designed to encourage breeding of the species.
The enclosure is home to a female named Mil, who came to London from Perth Zoo in Australia.
She weighs in at 181 pounds and is described by zookeepers as an intelligent and careful
cat.
Meloti was joined by male JJ in 2012, as part of the global efforts to breed the critically
endangered tigers.
Luckily it was love at first site.
With the 287-pound big cat seemingly falling head over pause for his new roommate.
Little over a year later in September 2013, the couple welcomed their first cub after
a pregnancy of 105 days.
This is not bad, as the average length of a tiger pregnancy is 16 weeks, at which point
the mother will begin preparing a den to protect her little once.
Incredibly, this particular cub was the first to be born at the zoo for 17 years.
Unfortunately, mortality rates in young tigers who are born blind are high, with only half
surviving into adulthood, and sadly JJ and Melos first born drowned in the enclosures
pool at just two weeks old.
Despite the setback however, Meloti soon became pregnant once more and welcomed three healthy
Cups, Nicole, Booty, and Sinta into the world in February 2014.
Then after having raised them for nearly two years, the new parents were separated from
their babies in early 2016.
In fact, the youngsters were sent to start their own breeding groups.
However, the couple was not alone for long.
Indeed, it was soon discovered that Meloti was expecting again.
So on Monday June 27th 2016, the now experienced mother gave birth to twins following a 108
day pregnancy.
And fascinatingly, the rare moment was captured on camera.
Certainly, after noticing the tigress seemed to be going into labour, zookeepers decided
to monitor the birth on their hidden camera system cub amp.
They watched as the first cub emerged at 9:19 AM followed 40 minutes later by the second.
Meloti gave her new babies a thorough clean before attending to their first feed and safety,
tucking them away in their den.
Thanks to the cub cam, the zoo was able to capture some of the Cub's defining first moments
and share them with the public.
Special events caught on film so far include Dad JJ's first tentative attempts to bond
with his babies, as well as the cubs discovering their playful sides.
Explaining the benefits of cub cam, tgeese Tubbing London Zoo's assistant curator of
mammals said’, “It allows us to observe the youngsters 24 by 7, while not disturbing
mom or dad at all, which is ideal while they get to know their babies”, he added.
We're overjoyed with our new arrivals, and with how Meloti is responding to our two cups.
One other important milestone to be caught on camera was the first time that the adorable
fee lines opened their little eyes.
This tends to happen when they're between six and 12 days old.
So, it was a good indication that these cubs were developing well.
Furthermore, it meant the little fur balls could begin exploring their environment properly.
Like their brothers and sisters before them, the twins will eventually be moved away in
order to start their own families and give Sumatran Tiger numbers a much-needed boost.
As a result, the twin's birth has not only been celebrated by the zoo, but also throughout
the worldwide conservation community.
Anja Rafiotanto, who is the Indonesian country manager for the Zoological Society of London,
ZSL said, “This is exciting news for the Sumatran Tiger, a flagship species for the
ZSL Conservation Program in Indonesia.”
ZSL has been in Sumatra for more than 14 years, working with our government counterparts to
increase the protection of Sumatran Tiger.
These rare tiger cubs give us hope for their future.
For the time being they're living with their parents and enjoying love, care & safety inside
a den - you can't see them yet, but they'll soon be on display at London Zoo.
The Cubs continue to thrive, and the zoo has assured us they will be releasing exclusive
footage of the cubs here on their website.
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