A rare Sumatran tiger cub has been born less than two hours away from Nottingham. Keepers at West Midlands Safari Park have released CCTV footage of a tiny cub being born on Tuesday, July 4 at around 2:30am.
The 11 year old mum, Dourga, and nine year old dad, Nakal, were only introduced to each other in August 2022 after being identified as a compatible match. The birth of the cub is a milestone moment as it is the first Sumatran tiger cub to ever be born at the park.
Sumatran tigers are listed as critically endangered, and there are less than 400 individuals remaining in the wild, which makes this birth an important part of protecting their species from extinction.
What three words would you use to describe Nottinghamshire? Let us know
Head Keeper of Carnivores, Chris Hodgkins, said, “We are delighted to announce that we have welcomed a new addition at Tiger Tropics. Back in March, keepers observed Nakal and Dourga mating and following a gestation period of three and a half months, Dourga successfully gave birth to a cub in the early hours of the morning on 4 July.
“The keepers and I are over the moon, as not only has it been nearly 16 years since we have had tigers born at the park, but this is the very first Sumatran tiger cub to be born here in our 50-year history. Dourga arrived in August 2022 to join Nakal, who has been with us since 2016, and were introduced in our brand-new Tiger Tropics habitat, where they had a new house and outdoor habitat.
"They settled in really well and developed astrong bond quickly, so this really is a case of new house, new baby!” He added: "Sumatran tigers are critically endangered – the most threatened an animal can be.
"We hope that this birth not only goes some way towards the conservation of the species, but also raises awareness of the plight of wild tigers and the threats they face." Tigers in the wild have an uncertain future due to habitat loss and poaching, so it is understood that there could be fewer than 4,000 tigers left in the wild and with only 400 of those being Sumatran tigers.
The Sumatran tigers at the Safari Park are part of an EEP (Eaza Ex-Situ Programme), which is a collaborative breeding programme between European zoos, aiming to conserve endangered species. This new cub is the third baby by Dourga, who had two other cubs at her previous home at Fota Wildlife Park.
However, this is the first time Nakal has become a father. The week-old cub has not yet been named, but keepers will find out the sex at an eight-week health check and then a name will be chosen beginning with the letter ‘L’.
This is because all animals born at the park in 2023 will have a name beginning with this letter. Keepers are unsure as to when guests will be able to see the new arrival, as it is currently in an off-show area, under the protective eye of its mother, but the Park hopes to post regular updates about the cub.
