Critically endangered tigers born at Taronga Zoo
First-time mother Kartika gave birth to three Sumatran tigers – two females and one male – on 17 January 2019. The cubs are yet to be named.
With fewer than 350 critically endangered Sumatran tigers left in the wild, every little cub counts.
Taronga Zoo has been helping to save the Sumatran tiger from extinction for close to four decades. Since 1980, there have been 21 cubs born at Taronga Zoo Sydney.
The cubs’ father, Clarence, was carefully introduced to Kartika in October 2018 to determine compatibility as a match.
With Kartika still very protective, the cubs will remain secluded in their den until late March 2019.
Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton said the birth of the triplets is an incredible success for Taronga Zoo’s endangered species breeding program.
“The fact that these triplets represent close to one per cent of the remaining wild population demonstrates what a wonderful achievement this is for the Taronga breeding program,” Ms Upton said.
The Sumatran tiger is native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra and is the only surviving tiger in the Sunda Islands, following the extinction of the Bali and Javan species.