Cleveland Zoo Celebrates Debut of 3 Endangered Tiger Cubs—and They Are So Dang Cute
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Let's waste no time introducing you to three lil tiger babies who made their public debut at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on Wednesday, marking the first time in 20 years the zoo has housed cubs.
Anyways, look at 'em!
The faces? Adorable! The earnest exploring? So cute! The paws? Comically large!
The three cubs are actually from two different species. Two of the babies—Luka and Anya—are Amur tigers and were born in Cleveland while the third is a Malayan tiger—Indrah—who arrived from the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma as part of the Tiger Species Survival Plan Program, the zoo said in a news release.
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Even though they're different species, the trio being together will allow them to develop socially without their mothers, who the zoo says "did not display maternal care." The babies, who each weigh roughly 30 pounds after their December birth, will romp around its exhibit together from 10 a.m. to noon local time.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Amur tigers are an endangered species while the Malayan are considered critically endangered with fewer than an estimated 200 still living in the wild. (Great going, humans.)
With that in mind, we think these new cubs are cause for extra celebration!
