Australasian Sumatran Tiger Population

[Jambo]

Yes, signs are encouraging considering he was deemed able to rejoin his family. The fact Zayana gave birth outside is unusual. Obviously the cubs are safer in a nest box; but despite the risks the outside exhibit presents, it’s important to give Zayana the choice and that’s obviously where she feels most comfortable. She gave birth to the previous litter outside as well.

It did seem unusual that Zayana chose to give birth outside, as in general most of the zoo animals seem to prefer indoor births. The only other instance I've heard about of an outdoor birth at Auckland Zoo was a nyala calf last year - the calf was apparently born in front of astonished visitors during the Easter holidays.

It's really congratulations to Auckland for being able to construct an exhibit that has enabled her to be comfortable on exhibit so much that she's given birth there! Privacy and safety are both very important and that's why most big cats prefer to give birth in dens. Obviously Zayana feels she has enough privacy outdoors and they're safe enough for her cubs which is a really positive sign of Auckland's success with their new habitats.

 

[Zoofan15]

It's really congratulations to Auckland for being able to construct an exhibit that has enabled her to be comfortable on exhibit so much that she's given birth there! Privacy and safety are both very important and that's why most big cats prefer to give birth in dens. Obviously Zayana feels she has enough privacy outdoors, which is a really positive sign of Auckland's success with their new habitats.

What I love most about Auckland Zoo’s set up is the difference between the three exhibits:

The small exhibit is gently sloping, with no obvious hazards and maximum privacy with bamboo shades. It’s ideal for a mother with neonates.

The medium exhibit is exposed, but again lacking any major hazards. It’s ideal for mobile cubs with maximum visitor viewing opportunities (enabling the cubs to be socialised to the general public).

The large exhibit is the most advanced, with water features and rock ledges. It’s ideal for a growing family as the cubs enter adolescence and need space from each other and their mother (and vice versa).

 

[ApeLadyNZ]

Chimpanzees at Taronga and Wellington have both given birth on exhibit. On top of a climbing pole seems to be a preference. At Auckland Zoo, Kiri the giraffe gave birth to Masamba in full public view in 2002.

Sali at Hamilton Zoo gave birth in the den, but was allowed access to the outdoor exhibit. On hot afternoons, she’d often bring the cubs out to nurse her them in the grass.

Thanks for that information - I didn't know that about Masamba!

 

[Jambo]

Tragic news from Auckland. Their four week old male tiger cub was euthanised this morning after sustaining a head injury on Saturday afternoon.

He is survived by his sister who still remains with mum, Zayana and is being closely monitored by staff.

Spoiler: Link to news

Auckland Zoo on Instagram: "Our Zoo is today coming to terms with the devastating loss of a 4-week-old Sumatran tiger cub who had to be euthanised this morning due to a head injury sustained after a tumble while exploring his habitat on Saturday afternoon. As a first-time mother, female tiger Zayana (6) who gave birth to this male and his twin sister on 2 January, has been doing a fantastic job rearing both offspring whose healthy growth has seen them become increasingly active and mobile, and exploring their environment with Zayana close by. “It’s hugely upsetting for everyone connected with the Zoo, but nobody is more devastated today than our team of carnivore keepers who have been doing an incredible job supporting Zayana throughout her entire breeding journey,” says Auckland Zoo director, Kevin Buley. “Working with our keeping staff, our dedicated veterinary team have done absolutely everything that they could have done over the last 72 hours, to give the little cub the best possible chance of recovery after his accident, but it was not to be”. Over this time this included a number of carefully planned veterinary interventions – moving the cub (temporarily from Zayana) to our vet hospital. At the hospital the vet team was able to more closely assess his condition and provide supportive care. A specialist veterinary neurologist was also consulted who assessed the cub late yesterday. Typically, with a mild concussion a marked improvement would be expected within a 72-hour period. However, with a noticeable deterioration in his condition, the team had to make the tough but correct call this morning, to euthanise him. As she has done throughout the weekend, and continues to do today, female Zayana is doing a great job caring for the remaining female cub, and the team is hopeful that this will remain the case going forward. For now, our tiger habitat remains closed to visitors while we continue to closely monitor Zayana and her remaining cub."

 

[ApeLadyNZ]

Tragic news from Auckland. Their four week old male tiger cub was euthanised this morning after sustaining a head injury on Saturday afternoon.

He is survived by his sister who still remains with mum, Zayana and is being closely monitored by staff.

Spoiler: Link to news

Auckland Zoo on Instagram: "Our Zoo is today coming to terms with the devastating loss of a 4-week-old Sumatran tiger cub who had to be euthanised this morning due to a head injury sustained after a tumble while exploring his habitat on Saturday afternoon. As a first-time mother, female tiger Zayana (6) who gave birth to this male and his twin sister on 2 January, has been doing a fantastic job rearing both offspring whose healthy growth has seen them become increasingly active and mobile, and exploring their environment with Zayana close by. “It’s hugely upsetting for everyone connected with the Zoo, but nobody is more devastated today than our team of carnivore keepers who have been doing an incredible job supporting Zayana throughout her entire breeding journey,” says Auckland Zoo director, Kevin Buley. “Working with our keeping staff, our dedicated veterinary team have done absolutely everything that they could have done over the last 72 hours, to give the little cub the best possible chance of recovery after his accident, but it was not to be”. Over this time this included a number of carefully planned veterinary interventions – moving the cub (temporarily from Zayana) to our vet hospital. At the hospital the vet team was able to more closely assess his condition and provide supportive care. A specialist veterinary neurologist was also consulted who assessed the cub late yesterday. Typically, with a mild concussion a marked improvement would be expected within a 72-hour period. However, with a noticeable deterioration in his condition, the team had to make the tough but correct call this morning, to euthanise him. As she has done throughout the weekend, and continues to do today, female Zayana is doing a great job caring for the remaining female cub, and the team is hopeful that this will remain the case going forward. For now, our tiger habitat remains closed to visitors while we continue to closely monitor Zayana and her remaining cub."

This is devastating news, and I am hoping that the female cub will survive this.

 

[Zoofan15]

Tragic news from Auckland. Their four week old male tiger cub was euthanised this morning after sustaining a head injury on Saturday afternoon.

He is survived by his sister who still remains with mum, Zayana and is being closely monitored by staff.

Spoiler: Link to news

Auckland Zoo on Instagram: "Our Zoo is today coming to terms with the devastating loss of a 4-week-old Sumatran tiger cub who had to be euthanised this morning due to a head injury sustained after a tumble while exploring his habitat on Saturday afternoon. As a first-time mother, female tiger Zayana (6) who gave birth to this male and his twin sister on 2 January, has been doing a fantastic job rearing both offspring whose healthy growth has seen them become increasingly active and mobile, and exploring their environment with Zayana close by. “It’s hugely upsetting for everyone connected with the Zoo, but nobody is more devastated today than our team of carnivore keepers who have been doing an incredible job supporting Zayana throughout her entire breeding journey,” says Auckland Zoo director, Kevin Buley. “Working with our keeping staff, our dedicated veterinary team have done absolutely everything that they could have done over the last 72 hours, to give the little cub the best possible chance of recovery after his accident, but it was not to be”. Over this time this included a number of carefully planned veterinary interventions – moving the cub (temporarily from Zayana) to our vet hospital. At the hospital the vet team was able to more closely assess his condition and provide supportive care. A specialist veterinary neurologist was also consulted who assessed the cub late yesterday. Typically, with a mild concussion a marked improvement would be expected within a 72-hour period. However, with a noticeable deterioration in his condition, the team had to make the tough but correct call this morning, to euthanise him. As she has done throughout the weekend, and continues to do today, female Zayana is doing a great job caring for the remaining female cub, and the team is hopeful that this will remain the case going forward. For now, our tiger habitat remains closed to visitors while we continue to closely monitor Zayana and her remaining cub."

This is devastating news, and I am hoping that the female cub will survive this.

Very sad news. He was a genetically valuable addition to the breeding programme and a much celebrated birth for Auckland Zoo.

It’s encouraging to read Zayana’s maternal instincts towards the remaining cub remain strong. Whether her milk supply will continue to flow will ultimately determine the outcome from here.

 

[ApeLadyNZ]

Very sad news. He was a genetically valuable addition to the breeding programme and a much celebrated birth for Auckland Zoo.

It’s encouraging to read Zayana’s maternal instincts towards the remaining cub remain strong. Whether her milk supply will continue to flow will ultimately determine the outcome from here.

I hope so too. I know that the zoo will be doing all they can.

 

[Jambo]

Very sad news. He was a genetically valuable addition to the breeding programme and a much celebrated birth for Auckland Zoo.

It’s encouraging to read Zayana’s maternal instincts towards the remaining cub remain strong. Whether her milk supply will continue to flow will ultimately determine the outcome from here.

I can certainly see a situation where this remaining female cub is sent over to Hamilton to be cross fostered in with their two cubs.

It's really tragic to see Auckland's bad luck thus far with their new pair, but if the remaining cub is moved over to Hamilton they'll be given another chance sooner rather than later.

 

[Zoofan15]

I hope so too. I know that the zoo will be doing all they can.

The best course of action would be to monitor for any signs of Zayana’s milk drying up (disinterest in the cub, no increase in weight etc). From here, I sincerely hope that cross-fostering to Hamilton’s tigeress would be considered if Zayana is unable to raise the cub. It wasn’t a viable option in September, but their litters are literally born a day apart.

 

[ApeLadyNZ]

I can certainly see a situation where this remaining female cub is sent over to Hamilton to be cross fostered in with their two cubs.

It's really tragic to see Auckland's bad luck thus far with their new pair, but if the remaining cub is moved over to Hamilton they'll be given another chance sooner rather than later.

That's certainly a possibility, if it will maximise the female cub's chances of survival, and will certainly give Zayana and Ramah a chance to breed again. Ideally, Zayana will be able to continue to care for her daughter, but if that is not possible I'd prefer, personally, to see her fostered out rather than euthanised.

 

[ApeLadyNZ]

The best course of action would be to monitor for any signs of Zayana’s milk drying up (disinterest in the cub, no increase in weight etc). From here, I sincerely hope that cross-fostering to Hamilton’s tigeress would be considered if Zayana is unable to raise the cub. It wasn’t a viable option in September, but their litters are literally born a day apart.

That is certainly a possibility, but I am hoping that Zayana will be able to continue caring for her daughter - that would be the best case scenario.

 

[Zoofan15]

That's certainly a possibility, if it will maximise the female cub's chances of survival, and will certainly give Zayana and Ramah a chance to breed again. Ideally, Zayana will be able to continue to care for her daughter, but if that is not possible I'd prefer, personally, to see her fostered out rather than euthanised.

Zayana’s daughter is basically the jewel of the seven kingdoms. She has a multitude of applications to our breeding programme, hopefully being paired with Reggie (the son of two founders) to produce a similarly valuable litter of cubs, which similarly have multiple uses themselves.

The rationale of letting nature take its course in September was to avoid hand-raising. This can be circumnavigated in this instance by cross-fostering, so I hope this is the route taken.

 

[ApeLadyNZ]

Zayana’s daughter is basically the jewel of the seven kingdoms. She has a multitude of applications to our breeding programme, hopefully being paired with Reggie (the son of two founders) to produce a similarly valuable litter of cubs, which similarly have multiple uses themselves.

The rationale of letting nature take its course in September was to avoid hand-raising. This can be circumnavigated in this instance by cross-fostering, so I hope this is the route taken.

Given the little one's value, I hope a solution for her survival can be found, whether she remains at Auckland or is sent to Hamilton.

 

[Zoofan15]

Given the little one's value, I hope a solution for her survival can be found, whether she remains at Auckland or is sent to Hamilton.

I hope so. It’s worth noting Zayana has now had two pregnancies back to back, so in the event this cub died or was removed, I imagine they’d give her a break of a few months before breeding again. Potentially trying again in June for spring cubs in September.

Either way, with a maximum of one cub surviving from this litter, a repeat breeding recommendation is guaranteed when the time comes.

 

[ApeLadyNZ]

I hope so. It’s worth noting Zayana has now had two pregnancies back to back, so in the event this cub died or was removed, I imagine they’d give her a break of a few months before breeding again. Potentially trying again in June for spring cubs in September.

A break would be for the best if this infant does not survive or has to be fostered out, but I am hoping she will continue to be cared for by Zayana.

 

[Zoofan15]

Additional details on Auckland Zoo’s tragedy:

Interview with Auckland Zoo’s director:

She'll drop them off in different areas and go off to feed and then come back and suckle them as a good mum would. In this particular instance, where she left them allowed the male - and these cubs are getting increasingly active as they grow and start to explore for themselves - he fell off one of the ledge areas where she'd left him, and that caused him to sustain a head injury. The fall was from a couple of metres high.”

The area where he fell off, she currently doesn't have access to. So we're having a look at what exactly went on there and what potentially we could do to improve that area.

The zoo said Zayana was initially searching for the male cub but on Tuesday was seen focusing on the remaining female cub, and the team was hopeful that this would remain the case going forward.

Click here to read full article:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/507958/tragedy-strikes-again-for-auckland-zoo-s-sumatran-tigers

 

[Tiger91]

Sad news, but at least she is focussing on the female cub for now. For a valuable pair they are having some rather bad luck.

 

[Zoofan15]

Sad news, but at least she is focussing on the female cub for now. For a valuable pair they are having some rather bad luck.

Ramah and Zayana have certainly had some back luck, though the loss of a first litter is common. Poetry and Jumilah both gave birth to single stillborn cubs in their first litters; while Selatan and Setia both had their first litters reduced to a single surviving cub, that would have experienced the same fate as the live cub born to Zayana in September had keepers not intervened.

Even Nico and Meta had their share of tragedies. The outcome of their six litters were as follows:

October 1980: one cub died; two survived
December 1982: whole litter lost
December 1983: three cubs died, one rejected
March 1985: three cubs died, one rejected
September 1985: one cub died; two survived
November 1988: one cub died; one survived

The two rejected cubs (Sinta and Usha) were handraised, which wouldn’t necessarily be done today (unless in anticipation of cross-fostering).

 

[Zoofan15]

New Zealand Tiger Cub Updates

Auckland Zoo:

The medium and large exhibits are open; but the small exhibit (containing Zayana and her female cub) remains closed off, indicating Zayana is continuing to feed and care for her cub.

Hamilton Zoo:

From socials:

The tiger cubs are thriving and are growing up so fast! They're embracing their playful side, exploring their habitat with curiosity while mum Kirana keeps a close eye. If you are lucky, you might spot them as they play hide-and-seek among the bamboo.

Kirana and the cubs have access to their off-display area and the on-display enclosure. There is a monitor in the viewing area that is regularly updated with footage from the den.


Source: Hamilton Zoo

 

[ApeLadyNZ]

New Zealand Tiger Cub Updates

Auckland Zoo:

The medium and large exhibits are open; but the small exhibit (containing Zayana and her female cub) remains closed off, indicating Zayana is continuing to feed and care for her cub.

Hamilton Zoo:

From socials:

The tiger cubs are thriving and are growing up so fast! They're embracing their playful side, exploring their habitat with curiosity while mum Kirana keeps a close eye. If you are lucky, you might spot them as they play hide-and-seek among the bamboo.

Kirana and the cubs have access to their off-display area and the on-display enclosure. There is a monitor in the viewing area that is regularly updated with footage from the den.

View attachment 684444
Source: Hamilton Zoo

It's encouraging that Zayana is continue to nurture her daughter after the tragic loss of her little son, and I'm glad to see Hamilton's girls thriving as well! I haven't heard any word on names for any of them, but will keep an eye on socials.

I'm guessing Hamilton Zoo might have a naming competition, but I wouldn't be surprised if zoo staff assigned a name to Auckland's little girl.