Three Sumatran tiger cubs born at a Greek zoo are offering hope for one of the world’s most endangered tiger species.
The three two-month-old cubs received identification microchips and their first vaccinations on Tuesday at Attica Zoological Park near Athens, as part of international efforts to maintain a backup population of the critically endangered species.
The Sumatran tiger lives only on Indonesia’s island of Sumatra, which is slightly larger than Sweden. Conservation groups estimate that as few as 400 remain in the wild, with extensive forest clearing posing a major threat to their survival.
“The Sumatran tiger is one of the most threatened tiger species in the world, and among felines in general,” said Theodoros Babilis, head keeper of cats and monkeys at Attica Zoological Park.
European and other zoos maintain a safety population of Sumatran tigers, Babilis said, “so that in the future there can be potential reintroductions of this species into the wild.”
The Sumatran tiger is the smallest tiger species in the world, although males can grow to 2.55 metres (8.4 feet) in length and weigh up to 140 kilograms (309 pounds).
The animals are skilled swimmers and climbers. Their dark stripes, which are unique to each tiger like a fingerprint, help them blend into dense forests while hunting deer, wild pigs and smaller mammals.
Even at just two months old, the cubs already have sharp claws and teeth, making them difficult to handle, Babilis said.
The cubs were born in early July to their mother, Toba, and their father, Argos, who has since died from cancer. Zoo staff said the surviving cubs will likely receive names inspired by characters from Homer’s The Odyssey.
The litter consists of two males and one female.
Vaccinations prove challenging
The cubs proved restless during Tuesday’s vaccination, forcing veterinary staff to work quickly and with assistance.
Staff transported the animals between locations in carriers on electric buggies as they completed the procedure.
Caring for the cubs requires demanding work, said Dr. Arsenoi Psaroudaki, a zoo and wildlife veterinarian.
“The tigers don’t like to be handled. They’re very wild,” she said, explaining that staff must complete the procedures quickly to minimise stress.
The veterinary team implanted microchips linked to a shared database and administered a vaccine similar to one commonly given to domestic cats. The vaccine protects against three diseases.
For Psaroudaki, however, caring for the cubs also brings a sense of reward because the breeding programme offers “some hope for safeguarding these really rare cats.”
“It’s very humbling to be able to work with the rarest tiger species in the world,” she said.
