Tiger cub to be hand-reared

Tiger cub to

be hand-reared at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm

 

Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm is full of animal noises but this morning a very

different call was heard.  It was a small

baby Bengal Tiger cub. 

The tiny cub, which weighs just 2lb 3oz, was born on Tuesday 29th

July in front of a global audience of thousands, live on the Tiger Webcam.  Head Keeper, Chris Wilkinson, tells us more;

“Tira began her contractions mid afternoon and gave birth approximately

1.30pm.  Sadly two of the cubs were

stillborn with one surviving.  Tira did

nothing to harm the cubs; it’s just one of those sad and unfortunate

things.  The third cub, which is a boy

and quite underweight, is alive but due to the first two cubs being stillborn

Mum got confused and she has since rejected the little cub.  We are now hand rearing him which involves

hourly feeds and we are sharing this between the three Tiger Keepers.  The cub is feeding on a mixture of formula

milk, protein powder, Jersey Milk, Cod Liver Oil, vitamin drops and cat food

supplement powder.  The cub is quite

fragile and it’s a delicate time.”

Hand rearing any animal is a tricky job with no guarantee of success.  Antibodies specific to the baby are produced

from Mum’s milk which protect the young baby from any infections. This is

difficult to replicate when hand rearing, making the baby more susceptible to

disease.  This with hourly feeds and

everything having to be constantly disinfected to ensure cleanliness is kept at

a maximum makes the whole process difficult and exhausting. 

Although it’s hard work it’s also incredibly rewarding when the keepers

begin to see the babies thrive, knowing that they are giving them a second

chance in life. 

Females Kushkja and Tira and male Tanvir have been at the zoo for a month

and have already enhanced the education programme at the Zoo.  School workshops, keeper talks and displays

around the zoo focus on the endangered Bengal Tigers and the conservation

efforts that are being undertaken around the world.  

The baby Tiger Cub will be

off show for the foreseeable future during this delicate time.  However, visitors can see the baby cub either through a web cam on the website or through a video screen at the zoo.  

Noah's Ark is open Monday - Saturday 10.30am - 5.00pm.  See www.noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk