Auckland City Council

Media release
25 May 2009

Triple celebration as zoo’s tiger cubs turn one

A first birthday normally marks a special day, but when the guests of honour are three critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs, the celebration is a triple treat.

Auckland Zoo will host a tiger-themed birthday party on Saturday 13 June with live entertainment, tiger encounters, free tiger face painting and opportunities to wish the cubs ‘happy birthday’ when they are treated to their first birthday cake and presents at 10.30am.

Male cubs Jalur and Berani and their sister Cinta will join their parents male Oz and female Molek at Visa Entertainment Tiger Territory for the celebrations, which mark an important milestone for the zoo. The three cubs were born after 10 years of planning and are valuable to the region for future breeding of Sumatran tigers.

“The cubs represent a new genetic line for Sumatran tigers and it is hoped they will go on to breed and have cubs of their own in zoos around the world. With less than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild the threat of extinction by 2020 is very real,” says Auckland Zoo conservation fund officer Peter Fraser.

“Conservation breeding in zoos is one of the ways to help ensure the survival of Sumatran tigers, along with supporting conservation in the wild and building awareness of the problems tigers face.

“The cubs’ birthday will not only be a wonderful day of celebration and fun, but will help raise funds to support 21st Century Tiger – a Sumatran conservation protect working to project tigers from habitat destruction and poachers, and is a key opportunity to increase awareness of the very critical situation tigers are facing in the wild,” says Mr Fraser.

Event Details:
• Tiger Cubs First Birthday Party Saturday 13 June 9.30am – 3.30pm (gates open at 8.30am for Friends of the Zoo)

• Rain date Sunday 14 June

• Normal zoo admission prices apply

• Cubs will receive their birthday cake and presents at 10.30am tiger encounter at Visa Entertainment Tiger Territory

• Additional tiger encounter at 3pm

• Tiger cubs commemorative poster on sale (proceeds to tiger conservation) and available for tiger keepers signing at 2pm

• Normal zoo admission prices apply

• For further event details, visit www.aucklandzoo.co.nzor phone (09) 360 3805

• Sponsored by Visa Entertainment

Notes to the editor

Images of the cubs are available on request.
About Auckland Zoo’s Sumatran tigers

Molek –Mother
Meaning: Malay for beautiful / elegant
Sex: Female
Date of Birth: January 2000
Weight: Approx 90-95kgs
Personality: Very intelligent and mischievous
Favourite food: Horsemeat
Likes: Watching the world around her and playing with the large buoy in her pool
Dislikes: When her keeper wants her to do something she doesn’t want to – like waking up!

Oz - Father
Meaning: Hebrew for strength, courage, power
Sex: Male
Date of Birth: November 2004
Weight: Approx 135kg
Personality: Very relaxed and loves visitors, especially girls!
Favourite food: Chicken, horse, and cat milk
Likes: Eating and playing
Dislikes: Sharing his food – he is a carnivore after all!

Jalur - Cub
Meaning: Stripes
Sex: Male
Date of Birth: 12 June 2008
Weight: Last weight 74kg
Personality: Jalur is very relaxed and very food orientated –just like his dad!
Favourite food: Chicken, horse and cat milk
Likes: Wrestling with his brother and sister
Dislikes: Sharing his food!

Cinta -Cub
Meaning: Love
Sex: Female
Date of Birth: 12 June 2008
Weight: Last weight 64kg
Personality: A bit shy around strangers, she is a lot like her mum
Favourite food: Chicken and rabbit
Likes: Swimming, climbing and spending time with her mum
Dislikes: Sharing her food!

Berani - Cub
Meaning: Brave
Sex: Male
Date of Birth: 12 June 2008
Weight: Last weight 68kg
Personality: A bit shy around strangers, his name means brave – but he isn’t really!
Favourite food: Everything!
Likes: Eating!
Dislikes: Sharing his food and strangers

Tiger Conservation
Confined to the island of Sumatra Indonesia, Sumatran tiger numbers have been drastically reduced through poaching and deforestation of habitat – to the extent that they now face extinction and are classed as critically endangered. Conservative estimates put the number of Sumatran tigers left in the wild at less than 400.

With their natural habitat under threat, breeding programmes and conservation initiatives are vital to ensuring the survival of the Sumatran tiger species. Jalur, Berani, and Cinta are an important part of the international captive breeding programme, especially because their dad Oz’s bloodline is not represented in the Australasian region.

Captive breeding for any endangered species is an insurance policy, not a solution. To contribute to solving the underlying problems, zoos are increasingly working together, and with other organisations, to support conservation projects in the wild. Through its Conservation Fund, Auckland Zoo has joined with Australasian Association of Zoological Parks & Aquaria (ARAZPA) and European Association of Zoos & Aquaria (EAZA) to financially assist the 21st Century Tiger project's Kerinci Seblat National Park.

World Heritage Site Kerinci Seblat’s 14,000km is one of the most important conservation areas in South-east Asia, and has tiger protection and conservation units working hard to halt the poaching and trafficking of tigers.

Since February 2009, tiger protection units have arrested 22 men in relation to illegal logging (habitat destruction) or encroachment into the protected national park. One of the men arrested is a suspected long-term tiger dealer.

Auckland Zoo has donated in excess of NZD$45,000 to 21st Century Tiger since 2002.

ABOUT AUCKLAND ZOO

Auckland Zoo is an enterprise of Auckland City Council. It is home to the largest collection of native and exotic wildlife species in New Zealand (over 770 animals and 135 species) and attracts over half a million visitors annually. It is becoming increasingly well known nationally and internationally through the award-winning television programme, 'The Zoo'. At the heart of all Auckland Zoo's work and activities is its mission: "to focus the Zoo’s resources to benefit conservation and provide exciting visitor experiences which inspire and empower people to take positive action for wildlife and the environment". Auckland Zoo is a member of both the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks & Aquaria (ARAZPA) and the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA).

ENDS

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