This past Thursday, the Sacramento Zoo welcomed a tiny little Sumatran tiger cub born to mother Bahagia. About two pounds at birth, the cub will rely entirely on mom for the first three months of life. This is the second litter for Bahagia (known as Baha) and zoo staff are hopeful the experienced mother will successfully raise this special little cub.
Photos credits: Sacramento Zoo
Sumatran tigers are critically endangered subspecies of tiger native to the islands of Indonesia and Borneo. These tigers split off from Bengal tiger populations between 12,000 and 6,000 years ago. The Sacramento Zoo participates in the Sumatran tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP), designed to maintain genetically viable populations of animals in captivity, and to organize zoo- and aquarium-based efforts to preserve the species in nature. More info available on the Zoo's blog.