Sumatran Tiger Triplets Need Names - And the Public is Invited to Help Choose Them

Voting begins today as the zoo releases first close-up, color photos and video of the three 3-week-old female cubs.

TACOMA, Wash. - Three endangered Sumatran tiger cubs, all females, need their names.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium staff, eager to have names ready for the tiny tiger triplets as their personalities emerge, is conducting a public vote on a slate of names for the 3-week-old cubs.

In the spirit of the season, voting begins today – just six days before national Election Day.

The zoo also is releasing the tiger cubs’ first official photos and video, taken during a well-cub check by staff veterinarian Dr. Allison Case and staff biologist Christy Webster.

One of the three Sumatran tiger cubs born at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium on Oct. 8 gets a well-cub exam.

The cubs, born Oct. 8, are healthy and thriving, zoo General Curator Dr. Karen Goodrowe Beck said this morning. They are living behind the scenes in the zoo’s Asian Forest Sanctuary with their mother, Jaya, who is very attentive to their needs and nursing, Goodrowe Beck said. The cubs, who weighed between 2.5 and 3 pounds each at birth, now weigh in at 7.67, 7.80 and 8.31 pounds.

There is no date set for their public debut.

That likely will occur in just over a month when the cubs have grown a bit more and are steady on their legs, which are still a little wobbly. The new family also is still bonding.

Cool outdoor temperatures also could play a role in when the tiny tigers come out to meet the public.

In the meantime, they need names.

Beginning today, members of the public may vote on these names, which Asian Forest Sanctuary staff biologists chose from Bahasa Indonesia, the Indonesian language. The cubs will receive the top three names. Voting runs through Nov. 13, and the names will be announced Nov. 14.

The public may vote at www.pdza.org/cubs  and can find another link at https://www.facebook.com/PtDefianceZoo.

• Dari (Dar-ee ) short for Ndari, meaning full moon because the cubs were born during full moon
• Kirana (Keer-rana), meaning beautiful sunbeam
• Asmara (As-mar-ah), meaning love
• Indah (N-da), meaning beautiful one
• Merah (Meer-ah), meaning blushful, picked because the cubs were born during a full moon.
• Diah (Dee-ah), meaning young female

The zoo used Google Translate to arrive at English pronunciations.

Once the votes are tallied, zookeepers will decide which name best fits which cub based on their personalities and appearances, Webster said.

“The birth of the three cubs also presents a rich opportunity for the public to learn more about Sumatran tigers, which are a critically endangered species,” Goodrowe Beck said. “Every one of these tigers is precious. We strongly want tiger species to survive so they will be there for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to see and appreciate.”

The cubs’ birth was part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan® for Sumatran tigers. Goodrowe Beck coordinates the SSP for North America.

Only about 300 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Their numbers are dramatically dwindling due to poaching and habitat destruction, primarily for the growth of oil palms. There are just 80 Sumatran tigers in North American zoos and approximately 400 in zoos worldwide.

The three cubs bring the total of tigers at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium to nine. In addition to Jaya and her litter, the zoo is home to Sumatran tigers Malosi (the cubs’ father), Bima, Dumai and Kali. Malayan tiger Berani also lives in the zoo’s Asian Forest Sanctuary. The tigers rotate on and off a number of exhibits.

Members of the public who wish to contribute to tiger conservation efforts may donate by calling The Zoo Society at 253-404-3651 or go to www.pdza.org/cubs.

“These donations make a huge difference,” Goodrowe Beck said. “They help fund anti-poaching efforts, education about tigers and other conservations initiatives in Southeast Asia.”

The public may learn more the link between palm oil production and habitat destruction in Southeast Asia through the zoo’s Paws for the Cause program at www.pdza.org/pawsforthecause. The website also has suggestions on actions people can take to help this conservation initiative.  

    Zoo veterinarian Dr. Allison Case gives one of the tiny tiger triplets a well-cub checkup.

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Photo credits: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium/Ingrid Barrentine