Tiger Cubs Born At Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

CLEVELAND — Two Amur tiger cubs were born recently at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Zoo officials announced Thursday that the twins came into the world between Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. The cubs are now being hand-reared by a team of animal care experts.

The cubs have been bottle-fed five times a day to ensure they hit certain growth milestones, including opening their eyes and beginning to walk. Once the cubs are a few months old, they will make their home at the Rosebrough Tiger Passage.

The cubs' parents — Zoya, mom, and Hector, dad, — are healthy and can be seen at the Tiger Passage during the year.

Mother tigers usually care for their children for the first two years, however tigers in captivity can be come overwhelmed. The Animal Care team closely monitored Zoya's maternal behaviors after the birth.

"After thorough observation, Zoya displayed minimal signs of maternal care, requiring the cubs to be raised separately with the help of Zoo veterinary and husbandry care experts," officials said.

Amur tigers are an endangered species, with an estimated population of 400 to 500 remaining in their native terrain in the far eastern side of Russia and northeastern China.