Keepers celebrate first tiger birth for 17 years

After a top-secret pregnancy, London Zoo's Sumatran tiger has given birth to the first cub to be born at the zoo for 17 years.

The cub's arrival was captured on hidden cameras placed by zookeepers, as five-year-old Sumatran tiger Melati gave birth at 9:22pm on Sunday, September 22.

"We are simply over-the-moon about the birth of the tiger cub; it’s a momentous occasion for everyone at ZSL London Zoo and a real cause for celebration," said zookeeper Paul Kybett.

Lasting 105 days, Melati's pregnancy was keep firmly under wraps, as keepers wanted to watch the first-time mum carefully through hidden cameras without disturbing her.

Paul said: “We were nervous about the pregnancy, as it was Melati’s first cub and we didn’t know how she’d react. When it came to her due date, we were all watching our monitors with bated breath.

“The actual birth happened very quickly and Melati’s maternal instincts kicked in immediately as she started licking the cub all over and it soon began wriggling around - we couldn’t have asked for a smoother birth!"

The new arrival has come just six months after the launch of Tiger Territory - a brand new exhibit at the zoo - which was opened by Prince Phillip in March.
The enclosure was specially designed to encourage breeding of the critically endangered species, after Melati and her mate Jae Jae joined the zoo earlier in the year.

Melati and her cub are expected to remain off-show for a few more weeks. Keeper Paul says: “It’s still very early days, so we’re leaving Melati alone to take care of her adorable baby, and our cameras allow us to watch them both from a distance - so far she’s proving to be a doting mum.”