Tiger Cub, Day 14 - Eyes Are Open

Our Sumatran tiger cub’s eyes are now open and, as our vets have noted, "is starting to more forcefully assert her personality!" She is continuing to gain weight, but over the last couple days has seemed less interested in the supplemental feedings that we offered her. With a “full" feel to her abdomen each time we picked her up, the cub was hesitant to gulp down formula from the bottle (like she did when we first started to offer one), and carnivore keepers are pretty sure that they may have caught a glimpse of the cub nursing as mom reclined inside her nest box.

As a result, we decided not to offer her multiple bottles of formula yesterday, and she still gained weight overnight, indicating that her nutritional needs are better met by her mother's milk now. The cub is still small, but is gaining weight at a rate similar to her brothers' (who were born here at Sacramento Zoo in 2006). For now, we will continue to weigh her daily to make sure she's getting everything she needs from her mother, and we hope not to have to supplement her diet any further.