Video captures the first moments of one of the rarest tiger species in the world being born at the London Zoo, England.
The London Zoo in England announced the birth of a new tiger cub in captivity. This is one of the rarest tiger species in the world.
The 10-year-old tiger demonstrates excellent mothering skills
The mother tiger, Gaysha, aged 10, moves around her newborn cub. Within just a few hours, the cub was determined to take its first unsteady steps on the soft straw in the cozy den.
Lucy Reed, the tiger keeper at the zoo, stated: “We knew Gaysha was about to give birth; in the final months of her pregnancy, her belly grew very quickly. We prepared a special den for her, filled with soft straw to make it more comfortable for both mother and cub.”
The 10-year-old tiger exemplifies excellent mothering skills. She watches over her cub as it struggles to stand, and when the cub is able to walk, she gives it a bit more space to roam.
The zoo staff monitored the mother and cub through cameras, ensuring not to disturb them so they could bond.
Gaysha gave birth after approximately a year of relocating to the London Zoo from Denmark. She is a hopeful addition to the global breeding program for Sumatran tigers.
Sumatran tigers are a rare subspecies of tiger in the world. Records indicate that there are only about 300 individuals left in the wild.
Currently, the London Zoo is inviting the public to suggest names for the tiger cub. Visitors to the zoo can also stop by the enclosure of Asim, the father of the newborn cub, and watch videos of the mother and cub, Gaysha.
The zoo has gradually introduced the two tigers to each other over several months before breeding, by moving them to adjacent enclosures. Zoo staff observed many positive signs indicating they were attracted to each other and felt comfortable together. They carefully monitored with cameras, as previously, Asim had caused the death of a female tiger named Melati during mating.
Sumatran tigers live on their native island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Their unique environment is the only place in the world where rhinos, orangutans, and elephants coexist with tigers.
Increasing deforestation and severe poaching have drastically reduced the population of this notorious predator.
