The female Sumatran tiger at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is pregnant and expected to give birth this month, zoo officials announced Wednesday.
An ultrasound of six-year-old Jaya appears to show two or three cubs, according to a news release. The cubs’ estimated due date is May 22, and staff members are closely monitoring Jaya. Several days before the birth, the tiger will be placed on 24-hour watch.
Jaya’s mate, Bali, who sired the future cubs, is undergoing treatment of his own. The 11-year-old tiger has been diagnosed with cancer and started chemotherapy in late April.
“We don’t know how long Bali has,” zoo general curator Karen Goodrowe Beck said. “We are treating his illness and keeping a close eye on his quality of life.”
Bali came to Tacoma from the San Francisco Zoo in September 2009 as part of a breeding program to bolster the Sumatran tiger population, which is listed as critically endangered.
About 70 Sumatran tigers live in captivity in North America, and about 250 live in the wild, Beck said.
Both Bali and Jaya still are on display in the zoo’s Asian Forest Sanctuary. Jaya’s pregnancy is just beginning to show, officials said. A typical tiger pregnancy lasts slightly more than three months, Goodrowe Beck said.
“Wild animals sometimes don’t care for their young, and there is a small chance that Jaya, as a first-time mother, may not care for her cubs,” Goodrowe Beck said. “In case anything does go wrong, our staff are prepared to swiftly step in and manage their care.”
After the cubs are born, they will remain behind the scenes for several months. If all goes well, the cubs will make their public debut this summer.
Joyce Chen: 253-597-8426
joyce.chen@thenewstribune.com
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