Fort Worth Zoo Welcomes Litter of Three Malayan Tiger Cubs

The Fort Worth Zoo is proud to debut its newest litter of Malayan tiger cubs. The three unnamed female cubs were born April 28, 2008, and weighed about 2 pounds at birth. The cubs now weigh in at about 14 pounds. Since birth, they have lived off-exhibit in a private den with their mother.

The three female Malayan tiger cubs are the third litter of this species born at the Fort Worth Zoo; the last litter was born in 2003. Formerly exhibited as the Indochinese tiger, recent DNA testing showed that the tigers housed at the Zoo are actually a different subspecies of tiger known as Malayan. The Zoo’s adult male and female Malayan tigers (mother and father of the cubs) both arrived at the Fort Worth Zoo in November 1999 from the Singapore Zoo.

The cubs’ births are an important addition to the current population of Malayan tigers in zoos across the country. Although all tiger species are endangered, Malayan tigers are considered critically endangered. So, breeding efforts in zoos are an extremely important aspect of their survival from extinction. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP) manages the population of three endangered tiger species – Amur, Sumatran and Malayan. Malayan tigers have the smallest population within the Tiger SSP, consisting of 45 animals (24 males and 21 females).

The Malayan tiger, one of six tiger subspecies currently in existence, is found throughout Peninsular Malaysia and is scientifically named after Peter Jackson, a famous tiger conservationist. This subspecies prefers thick, evergreen forests and can also be found in peat swamps. Today, an estimated 490 adult individuals remain in the wild. Males can grow up to 8 feet in length and weigh up to 265 pounds, and the smaller female can grow up to 6 ½ feet in length and weigh up to 220 pounds.

The cubs will remain at the Fort Worth Zoo until they are about 2 years old. In order to maintain a hedge against the species’ extinction, they will then be transferred to another AZA institution as recommended by the Tiger SSP. In the meantime, the energetic cubs can been seen frolicking and exploring in the Zoo’s Asian Falls exhibit.

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