Zoo Negara celebrated their special fur babies with special enrichment gifts for their birthday!
Both Malayan tigers, turned 2-years-old on Labour Day (May 1st), and enjoyed a special birthday enrichment and an ice meat cake at the celebration.
Although they won’t reach physical maturity for another year, Hebat and Wira already weigh around 100 kgs!
By the time they’re grown, they could easily weigh over 130kgs when reaching adulthood.
With orange fur and black stripes, the Malayan tigers are hard to tell apart, but their distinctive personalities may be the best giveaway!
Deputy President of Zoo Negara Malaysia, Rosly @ Rahmat Ahmat Lana said, “Socialization of tigers at an early age is incredibly important to develop skills and behaviours together. Because of habitat loss and poaching for illegal wildlife trade, less than 200 individual Malayan tigers remain in the wild
“Pak Belang, as they are locally known, are native to the native Peninsula in Southeast Asia and declared “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). About 40 are raised in various zoological parks in Malaysia,” he added.
However, it was supposed to be a birthday celebration for three, but sadly Hebat and Wira’s sibling, Melur, died last year.
The tiger, Melur, was found drowned in the tiger’s enclosure.
Explaining further, Rosly said that the zoo’s staff had persuaded Melur to come out of the water, but the playful young tiger refused and continued to play.
He said, “We looked all over the place for Melur the next day after she went missing. Then we found that Melur had drowned. It was very sad and unfortunate for us.”
Photo via BERNAMA
Melur, Hebat and Jati were the offspring of mother Kayla and father Jati. The three cubs were named by Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, wife of the then prime minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
How adorable! Happy birthday, baby tigers!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
