Twin tiger cubs emerge from their den at Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo has captured footage of two rare Sumatran tiger cubs emerging from their den for the first time.

The cubs were born in January but have only now started to venture out and explore the outside world.

Conservationists caught on camera the adorable moment the cubs enjoyed some playful ‘rough and tumble’ under the watchful eye of proud mum Kasarna.  

Carnivore experts at the zoo have revealed both cubs to be female and have named the twins Alif, a popular name in Indonesia, and Raya after Mount Raya in Sumatra.

Sumatran tigers are found only in patches of forest on the Indonesian island of Sumatra where just 350 remain. The species is listed as critically endangered in the wild by the world’s authority on the state of the nature, The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Habitat loss, hunting pressures and human-wildlife conflict are pushing the big cats closer to extinction.

Chester Zoo is part of an international conservation breeding programme to protect the species, aimed at boosting numbers and safeguarding its future on the planet.

Dayna Thain, Carnivore Keeper at Chester Zoo, said:

“These majestic animals are hanging on to survival by a thread in Sumatra. They’re one of the world’s rarest tiger subspecies and so to see these two cubs thriving here is absolutely wonderful. It’s a real joy to get a glimpse of the cubs exploring and enjoying some playful rough and tumble together.

“The cubs are still a little shy and pop in and out of the den with mum Kasarna, but it’s going to be a real privilege to watch as they grow in confidence and their feisty personalities really start to show through. Recently, we discovered them both to be female and have named them Alif and Raya.

“Crucially, with so few Sumatran tigers left on the planet, Kasarna’s girls are vitally important additions to the conservation breeding programme which is working tirelessly to prevent the species from becoming extinct.”

An increasing human population has seen more than 90% of the Sumatran tiger habitat wiped out, bringing the big cats into close conflict with villagers, farmers and livestock.

The species is also heavily poached for its skin, bones and canine teeth, which are sold illegally in traditional Asian medicine markets.

The zoo’s conservationists are fighting illegal poaching and helping to mitigate conflict between humans and tigers in India and Nepal, to further improve the future for another tiger subspecies, the Bengal tiger.

Sumatran tiger facts:

• Sumatran tigers have webbed paws, which make them excellent swimmers
• They have white spots on their ears which act as false eyes and make them appear alert from behind
• The Sumatran tiger’s stripes are closer together than other tigers
• Tigers usually hunt at night, around once a week
• Tigers are the largest of the big cats, and the largest carnivorous land mammal on Earth.
• The Sumatran tiger is the smallest of all species of tiger
• Six subspecies of tiger remain with three having already gone extinct

Pictured - Sumatran tiger cub twins emerge from their den for the first time at Chester Zoo.