Denver Zoo’s four endangered, Amur tiger cubs took a breath of fresh air Monday as they explored their outdoor habitat for the first time. The cubs – females Zaria and Akasha and males Nikolai and Thimbu – were each given a clean bill of health in their last exams and are ready to meet the public. The quadruplet cubs, born May 31, are the first of their species to be born at Denver Zoo since 2003.
The cubs were born to mother, Koshka, and father, Waldemere. Waldemere was born at Denver Zoo in 2003, but Koshka was born at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 2005 and came to Denver in late 2008. The two were paired under recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) which ensures healthy populations and genetic diversity among zoo animals. Fortunately, the couple has proved to be an excellent match.
– Denver Zoo
Teklanika Nature Photography 