Zookeepers Watch Nervously As Critically Endangered Sumatran Tiger Gives Birth To Twins

Aug 09, 2018 by apost team

Sumatran tigers are unfortunately one of many species on our planet that are critically endangered. Despite efforts to regain their population, they have remained on the endangered list for quite some time. Conservationists are ramping up their efforts to help this species survive, so when the staff at the ZSL London Zoo announced that their tigress was pregnant, it was amazing news.

The tigress, named Melati, from the London Zoo, is a very rare seven-year-old Sumatran tiger and became pregnant.

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To ensure the safety of her pregnancy and birth, the staff from the zoo installed a camera system in order to monitor the tiger’s behavior. In case she needed assistance, they would be able to recognize it immediately.

Melati’s pregnancy lasted 108 days. She started going into labor on June 27, 2016. Her baby was a stunning and healthy tiger cub. The father of her baby, a tiger named Jae Jae, roamed into their location in order to check on how the mother and newborn were doing.

The unthinkable happened when the staff continued watching the tigress through her camera.

Melati started acting unusual and uncomfortable. Amazingly enough, the tigress began to enter labor again, meaning that she was pregnant with twins! After she safely delivered her second newborn cub, the staff of the zoo was enthusiastic and excited about the prospect of having a rare tiger deliver two healthy babies!

Melati’s male cub was named Achilles, while her female cub was named Karis. They were born safely and healthy as they now lounge with their mother. You can see how happy the cubs are on the video the zoo released. It’s an amazing surprise to have twins of a critically endangered species born in a zoo, and efforts to continue their repopulation are still ongoing.

How cute is Melati as a brand new mom? We're so glad this beautiful moment was caught on film! Let us know what you think, and pass this around to your friends and family to finally share some good news for once.