If you have not yet been out to the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park and seen the three Sumatran tiger cubs, then now is the time! In fact, even if you have visited recently, they are growing every day so it is worth the trip back. Our cubs (Damai and her brothers Kucing and Harimau Kayu) are now over 6 months old and are all weighing in at over 50 pounds (23 kilograms)! They still stay close to their mother, Delta, but usually are not found far apart from each other. (See previous post, Firsts for Tiger Cubs.)

The youngsters have had a fabulous time over the past two months exploring the tiger exhibit, and now that the heat is here they are making good use of the pool! Tigers are one of the few cat species that enjoy the water, and I am sure that you can all agree one of the best ways to cool off on a hot San Diego day is to jump in the pool.

These three cubs really are a joy to work with. All the time the keepers spent playing and bonding with them when they were small is paying off. They seem to love our daily interactions and training sessions (although they are all in a “protected contact” environment now, meaning there is always a fence between the cubs and their keepers). These tigers aren’t dummies, either; they are learning some basic behaviors very quickly. They will lie down and target (touch their nose to a target) on command, and we are now working on having them hold that position for an extended time period. The youngsters are also learning how to “rise-up,” which means that they will stand up on the fence so we can get a good look at their bellies and pads of their feet. All of the behaviors we teach our cats have husbandry applications, which means that they are not tricks but will help keepers to better care for the cats and allow easier medical care, if needed.

Most of the time the tiger cub vocabulary consists of two sounds: screaming for food or chuffing (a friendly greeting noise), but give these cats a bone and it is a different story! I know the saying is traditionally “Give a dog a bone,” but in our case it’s the tigers that love this delicious treat. Twice a week our adult tigers are offered a cow femur bone and the cubs get a half portion. The bones help to keep the tigers’ mouths in good health. Just like they would do in the wild, chewing on the bone helps to break plaque and tartar away from their teeth, a much easier alternative than brushing those pearly whites!

In addition to this important health benefit that the bones provide, bones are great enrichment. The tiger cubs go especially wild for the bones, and I mean wild! As a bone is tossed into the yard, the race is on as the cubs try to beat their siblings to the prize. The first cub there will pounce on the bone and let out a growl that you could swear came from a tiger twice its size! This is enough warning for the unsuccessful cubs to back off and accept defeat…but wait, there are always enough bones for everyone! The process will repeat itself, and even the third cub to get its bone will do its best to scare any hidden competition away! Delta always waits patiently for her bone and usually tries to share hers with her kids. Unfortunately this means that Delta rarely gets to enjoy her bone in peace, but I guess that’s what makes her such an excellent mother!

The tiger cubs are on exhibit Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Come see them soon!

Kym Nelson is a senior keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

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