Jakarta, IO – Two Sumatran tiger cubs named Alif and Raya have been a popular topic of conversation in the last few weeks. They were born earlier this year and raised at Chester Zoo, England.
The name Raya is taken from Gunung Raya Wildlife Reserve at Ogan Regency, South Sumatra. While Alif was chosen because it is one of the popular names in Indonesia. They attracted visitors who wished to see these endangered species, reported Metro.co.uk, Wednesday (12/4).
“They are one of the rarest tiger subspecies in the world. Seeing these two cubs born here is really amazing,” said Dayna Thain, handler at Chester Zoo.
According to him, the pair of female twins has a shy nature. Even so, they were seen actively jumping around while their mother Kasarna looked on.
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“It’s great to see the cubs explore and enjoy playing together,” said Thain.
Alif and Raya epitomize the success of conservation program at the zoo. Based on the IUCN Red List, Sumatran tiger is categorized as endangered because it is estimated that there are only 350 of them left in the nature. The increase in human population, habitat destruction, and poaching for skin, bones and teeth are the main factors causing more than 90 percent of these big cat species to have disappeared. (bp)