Bengal Tiger Cubs Born at the Montgomery Zoo

July 22, 2010

Two white tiger cubs born at the Montgomery Zoo in June made their public debut today at the Montgomery Zoo.  This birth marks the first Bengal Tigers born at the Montgomery Zoo.

The seven-week old cubs were kept behind closed doors until they received their first level of immunizations.  Zoo staff members have been caring for the cubs and preparing them for this public introduction.  Zoo management made the decision to hand-raise the two cubs since a third cub was found dead at birth.  The gestation period for tigers is 105 – 110 days. 

The yet-to-be-named cubs, a male and female are the first litter born to Malika the mother and Zeus the father.  Malika, the mother is owned by World Wildlife Zoo in Phoenix, Arizona and is on loan to the Montgomery Zoo.  Zeus the father is owned by the Montgomery Zoo.  Born June 6 the male cub weighed 3.7 pounds and the female cub weighed 3.6 pounds.  The cubs have grown to weigh 12.8 lbs and 11.0 lbs. respectively.  The tiger cubs are fed a specialized formula designed for exotic cats. The amount of food in their diet increases every week and will also eventually include solid foods.

The cubs are now on display in the Zoo’s nursery located near the zoo’s entrance at the cross section of South America and the Train depot.  The cubs can be viewed daily at the feeding times of 10 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM, pending any medical or animal husbandry concerns.  Wild White Tigers are considered rare because their white coats provide poor camouflage, making them easily spotted by prey. 

The City of Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum are open daily from 9:00am to 5:30pm.  Discount combo admission to both Zoo and Mann Museum are: Adults: $14.00, Children 3-12 years old $10.00 and Seniors 65 and older: $14.00, Children 2 years and younger are FREE.  

Admission: The admission for adults to the Zoo is $10.00, senior citizens 65+ $9.00 and children ages 3 to 12 years old is $7.00.    Montgomery Zoo members and children 2 years and younger are admitted FREE. 

Memberships: Become a Zoo Friend member and you will be able to visit the Zoo FREE for an entire year and watch the tiger cubs grow.   The Zoo Friend membership begins at $35.00 for the year.

Location: The Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum are located off the Northern Blvd, between Coliseum Blvd and Lower Wetumpka Road.  The address for the Montgomery Zoo is 2301 Coliseum Parkway.  For more information, please call (334) 240-4900 or visit our web sites www.montgomeryzoo.com and www.mannmuseum.com.  Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

The Montgomery Zoo is accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.  AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation.  When you visit a Zoo or Aquarium look for the AZA logo as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals.