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

Vital Stats
Two Sumatran tiger cubs were born Monday, December 16, 2002 at Woodland Park Zoo. At birth, each cub weighed approximately 2.3 pounds. Their gender has not yet been determined. The litter represents the first offspring between 10-year-old mother JoJo and 9-year-old Rakata (RAH-ka-ta), and the first birth of this endangered species at the zoo since 1992. The cubs are off public exhibit.

During the week of January 6, the cubs weighed 7.5 and 7.7 pounds. On December 24, their eyes opened a slit and, by the 29th, they were mostly open. They are more mobile and vocalize regularly (mewing). Their nursing bouts are frequent and both are eating very well. JoJo continues to show excellent, attentive maternal care.

What the birth means for the Sumatran tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP)*
The birth of the cubs is very significant for the SSP. Only one Sumatran tiger birth occurred in North American zoos last year to date. Zoos have been struggling to breed tigers because of an aging tiger population, a limited number of breeding animals and a low birth rate. The current North American population of Sumatran tigers consists of only 31 males and 24 females in 27 institutions. In order to maintain a genetically, viable pool, the population must grow.

The cubs are on breeding loan and will be distributed to other zoos when they are independent from their mother.

About the parents
The significant litter marks the second for JoJo, who gave birth in 1998 to two cubs at Memphis Zoo. Rakata, born at San Antonio Zoo, has never sired any offspring. He came on breeding loan to WPZ in May 1998 and JoJo in May 2001. The pair was matched by the SSP for Sumatran tigers.

Off public view
At birth, tiger cubs are blind and helpless. To promote their health and well being, both mother and cubs will remain off public view in a hushed, heated environment at the Adaptations Building. The cubs should be on public exhibit in late March or early April. Mother tigers raise their cubs alone. Rakata may still be viewed in the tiger grotto along the zoo’s Trail of Adaptations.

A peek into the lives of the cubs — public viewing monitor
A black-and-white, closed-circuit monitor shows video footage of the cubs and is located in the corridor of the Adaptations Building. Footage will be updated periodically. Keep in mind that for the first several weeks of the cubs’ lives, very little activity may be seen. Video and updates will also be provided on our Web at www.zoo.org (when available).

Tiger keeper talks
Staff is currently presenting public keeper talks with video footage. Talks are held in the Auditorium at 1:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Reproduction and life cycle
The gestation period for tigers is 95-110 days. Tiger cubs are born with their eyes closed and weigh about 2 pounds. After a week or two, the cub’s eyes open and its first teeth begin to grow. Young nurse for three to six months.

The vanishing species…
Tigers are vanishing at a staggering rate in the wild. Today, less than 8,000 wild tigers are estimated to exist. The remaining five tiger subspecies are severely endangered: Amur (Siberian), Sumatran, Indochinese, Bengal and South China. The South China tiger is the most critically endangered with only about 20-30 left in their native habitat in central and eastern China. An estimated 400 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild. Bali, Javan and Caspian tigers have become extinct in the last 40 years.

The main threats to wild tigers are poaching and extreme habitat loss. Wild tigers are still being poached today for their body parts, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Their bones, whiskers and other body parts capture a lot of money on the black market. While the exact number of tigers being poached is unknown, some sources have estimated that one tiger a day is being killed in India.

For more information about the plight of tigers, visit www.5tigers.org.

Ambassadors to wild tigers
The cubs are ambassadors to their wild counterparts. As we become more urbanized, many people lack the opportunity to directly experience wildlife and wild places. Encountering the tiger cubs and our other wildlife residents can help the zoo-going public make the connection between animals and the natural world, thus fostering their caring about nature.

To learn how to support tiger conservation and Woodland Park Zoo’s conservation projects all over the world, visit the Conservation section of our Web site.

*Species Survival Plan (SSP)
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.