Adorable moment tiger cubs play with boxes hiding treats at West Midlands Safari Park as they celebrate a birthday
A video shows adorable tiger cubs playing with cardboard boxes at West Midlands Safari Park as they celebrate their first birthday.
Incredible footage shows tiger cubs playing with cardboard boxes storing hidden treats at West Midlands Safari Park as they celebrate their first birthday.
The three critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs, Nova, Nadirah and Naresh, are turning one on Saturday January 17, so keepers, with the help of some lucky guests, treated the cubs to every cat’s dream - a pile of cardboard boxes.
The boxes had an extra hidden treat of some chunks of meat hidden inside, meaning that the tigers had to destroy the box tower and search for their birthday snacks. Nova was the first to discover the presents and quickly set to work claiming a few for herself, followed by brother Naresh and sister Nadirah, not without a few sibling squabbles for the best boxes.
The park says making enrichment is an important part of a keeper’s job as it is essential for supporting animals’ physical health and psychological wellbeing, encouraging them to express natural behaviours.
The Sumatran tigers at the park are part of an EEP (EAZA Ex-Situ Programme), which is a collaboration between European zoos, aiming to conserve endangered species, so to have tiger triplets born, was fantastic news for conservation efforts to save the species.
The adorable trio were born to mum, Dourga and stole hearts instantly, with Nova being named by the keepers, Nadirah being named by guests on the park’s Facebook page and Naresh gaining his name from viewers of ‘Lorraine’ on ITV.
Sumatran tigers are listed as ‘critically endangered’ by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), which is the most endangered an animal can be before it is classed as ‘extinct in the wild’.
All tigers in the wild face an uncertain future, due to habitat loss, conflict with humans and poaching for the illegal trade in tiger body parts.
It is estimated that there may be fewer than 4,000 tigers left in the wild and with only around 400 of those being Sumatran tigers, that makes them one of the most endangered of the subspecies.
Kasha Carter, Head of Carnivores at West Midlands Safari Park, said: “I can’t believe our tiger cubs are already celebrating their first birthday! As we all know, cats love boxes so we thought we would treat them to a massive stack of them. We were lucky enough to have some help setting up from some guests who were taking part in our Keeper Retreat experience too.
“Transforming simple things (like boxes) into a world of play, curiosity and growing strength, is all a vital part of how the cubs have spent their first year of learning. Moments like these highlight the importance of enrichment for healthy development, while reminding us how precious their future is and why playing a part in the conservation of their species matters more than ever.”
