Local tiger cubs are growing up fast

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It was the middle of May when Berapi, the female Malayan Tiger, gave birth to three tiger cubs at the Palm Beach Zoo. Since then, these tiger cubs have grown tenfold and have more than enough energy to go around.

Little boys sure can be a handful. Running, romping and rambunctious, the three male Malayan tiger cubs at the Palm Beach zoo are no exception.

“They’re about five and a half months old now and, about 50-55 lbs, so they are growing very quickly and they’re at an age now that is absolutely adorable. They  are spending  their day running around the exhibit, they’re very comical and guests are loving them at the zoo.” Says Keith Lovett, Assistant Zoo Director at the Palm Beach Zoo.

The urban jungle these tiger cubs are being raised in may seem far different than their native Malaysia, however, South Florida’s tropical climate is actually very similar to southeast Asia, helping some of the newest members of this dwindling subspecies of tiger to thrive.

The Zoo is doing what it can to prepare for the future of Malayan Tigers.

“It’s estimated [there are only] three to five hundred Malayan tigers remain in the wild, so this is an animal that does need a lot of conservation work. Some of our conservation work is through conservation education, putting them on display at the zoo, teaching people about tigers, but it also has to do with genetic back up, basically the breeding of these cats because there are so few animals left in the wild that someday, some of the genetics that are found in the North American population may be needed for the wild in Malaysia,” explains Lovett.

Carrying the weight of the future of their species on their shoulders doesn’t seem to faze these tiny tykes much, for now their focus is on tackling their mom, wrestling one another and looking for a tasty treat. But in a few short years they will be as big as their father and will begin doing their part to keep the endangered Malayan tigers from going extinct.

There are only 58 Malayan Tigers in accredited zoos across the county. All three tiger cubs and the mother, Berapi, will remain at the Palm Beach Zoo for at least the next two years, however while the father is currently in Palm Beach, he will soon be taking a trip to the Bronx Zoo in New York to take part in a breeding program.