SEATTLE - The results of the KOMO 4 Tiger Cub Naming Poll are finally in. Woodland Park Zoo announced today the top two voted names for its 4-month-old female Sumatran tiger cubs: Jaya (jie-yah), meaning freedom, and Suriya (soo-ree-ya), meaning sun in the Indonesian language. There were more than 10,000 votes in the 18-day poll that invited people to vote on their favorite Indonesian names.

The names, chosen by the zoo’s tiger keepers, reflect the endangered Sumatran tiger’s native habitat.

The choices were:

• Molek (mo-lek) – Beautiful
• Malu (mah-loo) – Shy
• Jaya (jie-yah) – Freedom
• Indah (in-dah) – Beautiful
• Mulia (moo-lee-ah) – Noble
• Suriya (soo-ree-ya) – Sun
• Langka (lang-kah) – Rare
• Kasih (kah-see) – Love

“I think Jaya and Suriya are wonderful names,” exclaims zookeeper Dana Wooster.

“The sheer numbers of people who voted for these rare tigers’ names is a testament to the significance of this birth not only for Woodland Park Zoo, but for the community,” said Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO Dr. Deborah B. Jensen. “Jaya and Suriya are fitting names for these turbulent times.”

The endangered cubs made their public debut March 29 and are currently on view from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily. “It is heartwarming to see the community’s response to the cubs,” says Wooster. “Visitors have really taken these precious cubs and the plight of their species to heart.” The cubs will remain in this temporary indoor exhibit until outdoor temperatures are warmer.

Jaya and Suriya were born to 11-year-old mother JoJo and 9-year-old father Rakata (RAH-ka-ta), and mark the first birth of the rare species at the zoo since 1992. The birth is significant to help sustain the Sumatran tiger population in North American zoos, which is steadily dropping due to aging tigers, a limited number of breeding animals and a low birth rate. Additionally, with an estimated 400 Sumatran tigers remaining in the wild, the cubs represent a symbol of hope for their wild counterparts.

For more information about the zoo’s tigers and worldwide conservation efforts, check out Woodland Park Zoo’s Web site at www.zoo.org. Zoo spring hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. For general zoo information, log on the zoo’s Web site or call 206-684-4800.