INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Zoo is introducing three Amur tiger cubs, who were born May 27, 2022.
Zoya, the zoo's 7-year-old Amur tiger, gave birth to the triplets. The firstborn was a female and the other two males. The father is 14-year-old Pavel.
The zoo said first-time mom Zoya, who was also born at the zoo in 2014, delivered the first cub naturally but had to deliver the next two by C-section.
According to the zoo, all three cubs weighed around 2 pounds each and will be bottle-fed for 12 weeks.
The zoo said Zoya is well and healing, while the cubs are healthy and enjoying care from the zoo's team.
Unfortunately, the cubs will likely never be introduced to or in the same space as their mother because tigers are solitary by nature, and Zoya is not raising them.
According to the zoo, the Amur tiger cubs' birth is extremely important, as there are fewer than 100 Amur tigers in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo said Amur tigers in the wild have lost almost 95% of their territories.
The Indianapolis Zoo will launch a community campaign in July to help name the cubs ahead of their expected debut to the public in mid-September.