Sumatran tiger cub twins thriving in first public appearance at Chester Zoo

Two rare Sumatran tiger twin cubs are thriving in their first public appearance at Chester Zoo since being born.

The female twins, named Alif, a popular name in Indonesia, and Raya, after Mount Raya in Sumatra, were born at Chester Zoo in January. But the pair have only just started to emerge outside of their den, where they spend time with mum, Kasarna

The zoo said only 350 of the tigers, which are native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, remain in the wild. Keeper Dayna Thain said it would be a ‘real privilege’ to see the cubs grow.

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.

Sumatran tigers are the smallest of the six tiger subspecies and have webbed paws, which make them excellent swimmers.

They also have white spots on their ears, which look like eyes and make them appear alert from behind, and their stripes are closer together than any other tiger.

A zoo representative said an increasing human population had seen more than 90% of the tiger’s habitat wiped out and poaching for its skin, bones and canine teeth, which are sold illegally in traditional Asian medicine markets, had also had an impact on numbers.

Ms Thain, the zoo’s carnivore keeper, said to see the two cubs thriving was ‘absolutely wonderful’.

“It’s a real joy to get a glimpse of the cubs exploring and enjoying some playful rough and tumble together,” she said.

“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.”