Auckland’s Sumatran tiger has given birth to two cubs, both weighing about 3.5 pounds and receiving the best care from their mother at the zoo. 

Auckland Zoo’s five-year-old tiger Zayana gave birth in the early hours of the second day of 2024, with both cubs born in a sheltered outdoor den and looking like they were doing well. 

Zayana has been giving the cubs her undivided attention since, and she has been displaying “great mothering skills”, a zoo spokeswoman said. 

Lead senior zoo keeper for carnivorous animals Nick Parashchak said: “Just as a tiger mother would be doing in the wild, she’s being highly protective of her offspring.” 

Zookeepers were feeling “cautiously optimistic” Zayana and her cubs would go well, Parashchak said, “but as with any animal births, the first weeks for both the mother and offspring are always critical”. 

The caution comes after Zayana killed one of her newborn cubs last year - a natural, instinctual reaction to losing the first of that litter to a stillbirth. 

Zayana, Auckland's Sumatran tiger. Photo / Auckland Zoo 

She was a first-time mother at the time and gave birth to two cubs. Auckland Zoo delivered the news extremely sensitively: “Our [zookeepers] were encouraged to see Zayana’s natural instincts come to the fore when she was faced with the challenging situation.” 

Zayana’s natural instincts on Tuesday, though, have seen her spend time grooming and feeding her new cubs. 

Parashchak said: “It’s great to see how focused she is on ensuring both cubs are well positioned to be able to regularly suckle from her to get the vital nutrients and food they need to grow and thrive.” 

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He said the cubs were born blind and would not gain their full sight until about two weeks after their birth. “They will be completely dependent on Zayana for months to come.” 

Zayana looking out over her domain as schoolkids look on. Photo / Dean Purcell 

He said zookeepers and veterinarians would monitor her and her cubs closely while making sure she gets the space she needs. 

“Our job ... is to do everything we can to ensure she has a safe and secure environment to successfully carry out her new role as a mother,” he said. 

Screens obscured her habitat at the zoo from the public, and visitors were being asked to pass by the area quietly for the next few days to give her the privacy she needed. 

Visitors were not able to see the cubs yet and the zoo couldn’t say when the public would be able to see them: “But we will keep everyone updated about their progress, and as we can, will share photos and footage,” a spokeswoman said. 

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.