NOTE: In order to ensure their health, the new tiger cubs will not be on public view

SEATTLE - A new set of stripes appeared late yesterday at Woodland Park Zoo with the birth of two Sumatran tigers. The first cub was born at approximately 3:50 p.m. (PST) December 16 and the second a few hours later at 7:30 p.m. The endangered cubs are the result of more than 80 successful matings that took place over a one-week period this past September! The cubs represent the first offspring between
10-year-old, second-time mother JoJo, and 9-year-old first-time father Rakata (RAH-ka-ta). The cubs are off public exhibit.

The last birth of a Sumatran tiger at Woodland Park occurred in 1992. “This is a very significant birth to help sustain the population in North American zoos, which continues to drop due to aging tigers, a limited number of breeding animals and a low birth rate,” explains zoo Deputy Director Bruce Bohmke. Only one Sumatran tiger birth occurred in North American zoos last year.

A neonatal exam registered the cubs’ weight at 2.3 pounds each. According to zoo Associate Veterinarian Dr. Darin Collins, “The cubs are healthy and strong with no obvious defects or abnormalities.” Collins points out that determining the sex of kittens is challenging. “Our best guess at this time is they are both females.” The zoo's priority is to ensure the health and well being of both mother and cubs by providing the best possible health care and a hushed, comfortable environment that is off view to the public. Staff will continue monitoring the cubs by remote visual monitor and weighing the cubs periodically to ensure consistent weight gain and hydration. “Both kittens are nursing well and had full bellies during the exam,” says Collins, and “the mother is showing appropriate care and attentiveness.”

Cubs are born blind and open their eyes within a week or two after birth. Due to their delicate size and helplessness, the litter will remain off public view for a minimum of four to five months. Beginning this Saturday, zoo visitors may watch video footage of the cubs via a closed-circuit monitor in the corridor of the zoo's Adaptations Building. Rakata can be viewed in the tiger grotto outside the same building during zoo hours. Video and updates will be provided on our Web site at www.zoo.org.

JoJo arrived on a breeding loan last spring from Memphis Zoo per recommendation by the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Sumatran tigers. Reproductive evaluations and hormonal analyses collected throughout the summer produced a timeline for breeding introductions between JoJo and Rakata. “Compatibility, timing and research data are essential for successful mating,” says zookeeper Dana Wooster, a key player in the introduction and breeding process between the two adult tigers. “These beautiful cubs are the fruits of our labor!” JoJo previously gave birth in 1998 to two cubs at the zoo in Memphis.

Of the five remaining tiger subspecies, the Sumatran is very rare with only about 400 existing in the wild. The South China tiger is the most critically endangered with only about 20-30 left in their native habitat in central and eastern China. “The Sumatran tiger cubs represent a symbol of hope for their wild counterparts,” explains Bohmke. “Connecting with tigers in zoos is a fundamental step toward understanding the need to preserve tigers and their natural world,” notes Bohmke.

All five tiger subspecies are endangered and among these, only 6,000-8,000 tigers remain in the wild. The primary reasons for the decimation of wild tiger populations are illegal poaching, human overpopulation and other activities that result in the destruction and fragmentation of habitat. Tiger bones and other body parts are used in traditional Asian medicines.

The Sumatran tiger SSP is among 35 SSPs that Woodland Park Zoo participates in, including the western lowland gorilla, Aruba Island rattlesnake, red-crowned crane and orangutan. Under the auspices of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), the cooperative breeding programs work to ensure genetic diversity and demographic stability in North American zoos and aquariums. Additionally, SSPs involve a variety of other collaborative conservation activities such as research, public education, reintroduction and field projects. AZA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation, with more than 205 zoos and aquariums as members.

For more information about the zoo’s tigers and its conservation efforts, check out Woodland Park Zoo’s Web site at www.zoo.org. Zoo winter hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. For general zoo information, log on the zoo’s Web site or call 206.684.4800.