Six new tiger cubs are making their first public appearance at the Bronx Zoo, reports the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
The cubs include three Amur and three Malayan tigers. Both subspecies are endangered due to habitat destruction, poaching, and loss of prey.
“The birth of these tiger cubs is true cause for celebration,” said Jim Breheny, WCS’s Senior Vice President of Living Institutions and Director of the Bronx Zoo. “The opportunity to be present and watch as these majestic creatures mature from playful cubs to awe-inspiring adults is an experience every New Yorker will enjoy. That both the Amur and Malayan tigers are part of the Tiger Mountain experience will make it easy for our guests to learn about both subspecies of tigers and how important it is to protect them in the wild.”
  Three Malayan tiger cubs (top) and three Amur tiger cubs (bottom). Photos by Julie Larsen Maher |
Two of the three male Amur cubs have been named “Julian” and “Josie” in honor of zoo supporters Julian Robertson and his wife, the late Josephine “Josie” Robertson. The third Amur cub will be named soon.
Of the three Malayan tiger cubs, one male was named “Pepino” by Patricia Lanza, a WCS supporter, and the female was named “Claiborne” by WCS in honor of the late Liz Claiborne, a long-time conservationist and WCS supporter. The third Malayan cub, a male, will be named by the zoo’s wild animal keepers, according to a statement from WCS.
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