The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is showing off two of its most recent additions.
Two critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs were born on November 20.
The males are the offspring of Dorcas and father, Berani.
The cubs are second and third Sumatran tigers to be born in Jacksonville. Big sister Kinleigh Rose was born on November 19, 2015.
“Dorcas started out as a skittish and shy tigress, but she is now a confident and skilled mother. She is a natural at providing her cubs with the necessary care to help them develop,” said Dan Dembiec, Supervisor of Mammals at the zoo in an email to WJCT News.
Dr. Yousuf Jafarey gave the cubs’ brief physical examinations and determined they look healthy, are nursing well, and have no congenital health problems. Both cubs weighed in at 4.5 pounds.
It will be several months before the cubs are on exhibit because they still have a series of health examinations and vaccinations to undergo. But zoo visitors can still get a look at the cubs thanks to a live video feed of the nest box in the tiger viewing building.
There are currently less than 400 Sumatran tigers in the wild, according to the zoo.
The cubs will help the zoo’s staff highlight the work being conducted in Indonesia to protect Sumatran tigers and their prey.
The zoo has supported the protection effort in Indonesia for the past three years, which coincided with the opening of the Land of the Tiger exhibit in 2014.
Seventy-five cents of each paid admission is dedicated toward conservation. In the past five years, guests and members have helped the zoo contribute more than $1 million to conserving plants and animals in the wild, according to the zoo.
For more information visit the zoo's website.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
