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Rejected Cub Finds New Mom at OKC Zoo
28 Jun
Summary
- A tiger cub named Zoya was rejected by her mother at Philadelphia Zoo.
- Zoya was accepted by Lola, a Sumatran tiger at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
- Both Amur and Sumatran tigers are endangered with fewer than 500 in the wild.
A tiger cub named Zoya, initially rejected by her mother at the Philadelphia Zoo, has been successfully adopted by a new maternal figure at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Zoya, an Amur tiger also known as a Siberian tiger, is the sole survivor from a litter of five cubs born on July 9. Her first-time mother did not accept her, leading to the transfer. She was welcomed by Lola, a Sumatran tiger who had given birth to her own litter just a day prior. The transfer to Oklahoma City was facilitated due to the close subspecies relationship between Amur and Sumatran tigers. Both Amur and Sumatran tigers face critical endangerment, with estimates suggesting fewer than 500 individuals of each subspecies remain in their natural habitats. This adoption provides a crucial lifeline for Zoya and underscores the ongoing conservation efforts for these magnificent big cats.
