General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsItsy-Bitsy Tiger Triplets Just Born At Calgary Zoo
Canada's Calgary Zoo announced that between approximately 4:30 am and 7:00 am on March 30, three Amur tiger cubs were born to female Katja. Their father is Baikal. For the moment, the mother and cubs are being allowed to bond in the security of the birthing area and can only be seen on the webcams (video below). ZooBorns will post updates - pictures and video - as they grow.
The birth of these tiny cubs, each weighing an estimated 1.6 pounds (750 gms) is potentially great news for this highly-endangered species. The birth is a result of a breeding recommendation for eleven-year old Katja and ten-year old Baikal from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Program (SSP) for Amur tigers of which the Calgary Zoo is a participant.
Video clip: Check out this video on YouTube:
Amur tigers are classified as endangered and at the last census conducted in the wild it was estimated that only about 350 - 400 Amur tigers remain. To put into perspective the truly endangered status of these beautiful animals, these three tiny cubs are representative of almost 1% of the entire wild population.
http://www.zooborns.com/
Those are some tiny babies!
marmar
(77,080 posts)closeupready
(29,503 posts)and just plain gorgeous! K&R
roguevalley
(40,656 posts)Faygo Kid
(21,478 posts)They are truly beautiful animals. And so is Verlander.
niyad
(113,306 posts)Judi Lynn
(160,530 posts)Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)And so tiny. Squeeeee!
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)And OMG that is such an awesome website! All baby animals!
Beaverhausen
(24,470 posts)*faints*
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)omg teh cuteness!
Paper Roses
(7,473 posts)eppur_se_muova
(36,263 posts)Captive breeding may eventually be what saves them from extinction.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,693 posts)There's a fascinating book, "The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival" http://www.amazon.com/The-Tiger-Vengeance-Survival-Borzoi/dp/0307268934 that describes how a hunter in Siberia shot and injured a tiger, and after that the tiger started hunting him specifically. He ignored other humans and sought out only the one who shot him. He even broke into the man's hunting shack and stole his mattress, dragging it outside into the snow so he could sit on it in comfort and wait for his prey.
There are Amur tigers at the Minnesota Zoo. One day I went went to the tiger exhibit, which is mostly open and behind a large moat. There's also an area where there's a thick sheet of glass so you can get close to the tigers (without being eaten). And so I played with one of them - I ran back and forth along my side the glass and she chased me on hers. I'd put my hand up on the glass and she'd put her huge paw up on the other side. We did this for quite awhile. They seem extremely large when you get close to them.
I do like tigers.
3auld6phart
(1,047 posts)My friend Calvin has one. Named him Hobbes, follows him everywhere. Don't know
why mankind seems they have to rid the world of these and other magnificent creatures.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)MadrasT
(7,237 posts)Loves me some babycats!
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)RadiationTherapy
(5,818 posts)She'll love this.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Brigid
(17,621 posts)We have them at our zoo too (no babies though). God outdid Himself when He created the tiger.
LadyHawkAZ
(6,199 posts)Adorable
Tripod
(854 posts)BlueIris
(29,135 posts)Welcome.
Sarah Ibarruri
(21,043 posts)Mamas sure do love their babies.
Odin2005
(53,521 posts)DianaForRussFeingold
(2,552 posts)On the side you can (Sort by Zoo & Aquarium)
Oh, this is great...I can visit the zoo, online!
Thank You again, Are_grits_groceries!
Beowulf
(761 posts)Introduce them into the woods of Pennsylvania. We have way too many deer who have no natural enemy, save human hunters. This tiger is already well suited for the geography and climate of Pennsylvania and would be helpful in controlling the deer population. It would also add an element of danger to deer hunting. Win/win, right?