Sumatran Tiger Cubs Emerge From Den At San Diego Zoo Safari Park

SAN DIEGO, CA — Two critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs emerged from their den Thursday at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the zoo announced.

The twins were born July 12 to first-time mother Diana and father Dumai at the Safari Park in Escondido. The female cub is Puteri, which means "princess" in Malay. The male cub is Hutan, which means "forest." They are the first cubs of their species to be born at the Safari Park's Tull Family Tiger Trail habitat in seven years.

The cubs on Thursday "stepped out to explore their outdoor habitat, much to the delight of wildlife care staff and volunteers," according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, a nonprofit conservation organization that operates the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

The births resulted from a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said.

Listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, only an estimated 400 to 600 Sumatran tigers remain on Earth. These recent births are a "significant contribution to the global population of this tiger species," according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance works with partners in Asia through its Asian Rainforest Conservation Hub to end poaching and wildlife trafficking, while developing longterm plans to protect critically endangered Sumatran tigers.