PITTSBURGH

Two Tiger Cubs Rejected From Mom Are Being Raised at a Pittsburgh Zoo

Two rare tiger cubs whose mother didn't bond with them are being hand-raised at a Pittsburgh zoo.

Zoo keepers at The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium on Tuesday showed off the twin male and female endangered Amur cubs, which were born Sept. 25. The keepers had noticed the cubs' mother wasn't caring for them 24 hours after their birth and decided to remove them.

Pittsburgh Zoo Baby Tigers
Paul A. Selvaggio/AP
This Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017, photo provided by the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium shows Dr. Ginger Sturgeon, the zoo's director of veterinary medicine, caring for a female Amur tiger cub at the zoo in Pittsburgh. The cub is one of two rare, endangered Amur tiger cubs, one male and one female, born at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium on Sept. 25, 2017, and later separated from their 10-year-old mother Tierney, after zookeepers and veterinary staff monitoring the cubs via an infrared camera noticed the mother wasn't showing interest in her cubs and was neglecting them.

In a few weeks the cubs will transfer to one of the zoo's cat buildings, where they will be able to see, hear and smell other cats. The goal is to reunite them with their mother or get them a substitute mother.

The Pittsburgh Zoo is known for its success in reintroducing youngsters to their families. In 2011, a baby tiger was successfully reintroduced to its family after recovering from a life-threatening illness.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us