Meet the majestic tigers!
Adelaide Zoo is home to five Sumatran Tigers, Delilah and Kembali, and their three stripy cubs!
Kembali was born at Hamilton Zoo in New Zealand on 16 November, 2014 and has called Adelaide Zoo home since mid-2018. This big boy is very relaxed and absolutely loves his food – he isn’t scared to chomp through bones and finish every last bite! He loves to spend his days relaxing amongst the bamboo of his habitat or taking a quick dip in the pond when it’s really hot.
Adelaide Zoo welcomed five-year-old female, Delilah, from Australia Zoo on New Years Eve, 2021. And on Wednesday 21 December 2022, Delilah welcomed three tiny and stripy tiger cubs! The arrival of cubs was an exciting moment for conservation with only 400 Sumatran Tigers estimated to be left on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Female cub, Susu, which means milk in Indonesian, is quieter and more reserved. She loves following sister, Marni, around and interacting with Dad Kembali through the mesh fence. She is easily identified by the two black ‘dots’ in the middle on her head.
The male cub is the largest of the three. He is a big mama’s boy and he loves following Delilah around. Ketambe is a gentleman with his sisters – he always seeks permission before playing with them. Named after a village in Aceh, spot Ketambe by looking out for the vertical ‘fish hook’ marking on his head.
Marni means loyal and persistent in Indonesian, and good in Kaurna, the language of the land on which she was born. This gorgeous girl is the smallest of the three but the most independent and adventurous, as well as being very food obsessed. She can be identified by the triangular markings on her forehead and black flecks between her eyes.
The gorgeous trio made their growling debut to the public on Friday, 7 April, pouncing and prowling around their new habitat. Set to leave a pawprint on your heart, visit Adelaide Zoo to see these feisty felines in the fur!
See the cubs during our brand new experience – Tigers and Friends!
Tigers are the largest living cats in the world, with the Sumatran Tiger being the smallest of the six tiger subspecies. Sumatran Tigers inhabit the tropical rainforests on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.
The pattern of tigers’ stripes is unique to each animal, just like fingerprints are to humans. The stripe pattern is found on a tiger’s skin and, if shaved, its distinctive pattern would remain. Sumatran Tigers also have webbing between their toes, which makes them good swimmers. Tigers make many sounds, including roaring, chuffing, growling and mewing.
One hundred years ago it is estimated that there were 100,000 wild tigers – today the number is thought to be as few as 3,200 individuals. The Sumatran Tiger is the last surviving subspecies of tiger in Indonesia; the Balinese Tiger became extinct in the 1940s and the Javanese Tiger in the early 1980s. Current estimates indicate there is around 300-500 wild Sumatran Tigers with a rapidly decreasing trend due to habitat destruction for palm oil plantations and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade.
Love Sumatran Tigers? Join the pride and ensure tigers stay a pounce ahead of extinction! There are many ways you can help support these amazing animals!
