Image Source: https://www.korkeasaari.fi/
The Korkeasaari tigers are highly endangered Amur tigers , of which there are about 500 in the wild. They belong to the conservation program of European zoos, which aims to secure the future of the subspecies. The Korkeasaari tigers were hoping for cubs for the conservation program and they had been seen mating in May. The litter is the second of the tiger pair.
The animal caretakers started to be sure of the pregnancy, the closer the due date came. On Saturday, the female tiger was restless and spent a lot of time in the den. The first of the puppies was born late in the evening and the birth continued until Sunday morning. Tiger cubs weigh less than a kilo when they are born, but thanks to the mother’s fatty milk, they gain weight quickly. Puppies’ eyes only open after the first week of life. The cubs leave their mother at the earliest at the age of two months, which means they are not seen outside the nest cave for weeks.
“Sibiri was already a super mom six years ago when she had her first litter. It cares for the puppies conscientiously and is really calm even when we take food indoors and the puppies are left alone for a while. The puppies are doing well and their eyes are pulsating,” says animal keeper Jonne Stenroth .
The first month is the most critical time for puppies. In order for the mother to focus on taking care of the cubs, the male tiger Tamur lives in a different shelter. The animal keepers also now visit the tigers’ interiors as little as possible. When the puppies are about a month old, they undergo a health check.
On the next two Fridays and Saturdays, Korkeasaari will celebrate the Night of Cats, where funds will be collected for the protection of Amur tigers and Amur leopards. The birth of tiger cubs has been taken into account in the planning of the event. The tigers’ nest cave is well soundproofed and the mother’s behavior is monitored, for example, via a nest camera.
Story Source: https://www.korkeasaari.fi/korkeasaareen-syntyi-kolme-amurintiikerin-pentua/
