Europe08 September, 20262 min read
Two-Month-Old Sumatran Tiger Cubs Get Microchips And Vaccinations At Attica Zoological Park Near Athens
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Three two-month-old Sumatran tiger cubs at Attica Zoological Park were microchipped and vaccinated. The procedure supports building a backup population for the critically endangered species.
5 outlets told this the same way.
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Cubs in Greece
Three two-month-old Sumatran tiger cubs received identification microchips and their first vaccinations on Tuesday at a zoo near Athens, as part of a global effort to build a backup population. The AP report identifies the location as SPATA, Greece, and says the cubs were born as the world’s most endangered tigers started a family in Greece.
The Daily Pioneer says the cubs were vaccinated and microchipped at Attica Zoological Park, and it quotes Theodoros Babilis, head keeper of cats and monkeys at Attica Zoological Park, saying, "The Sumatran tiger is one of the most threatened tiger species in the world, and among felines in general." The South China Morning Post adds that the Sumatran tiger is classified as critically endangered and is found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which it describes as slightly larger than Sweden.
Care, handling, and names
The Daily Pioneer reports that the cubs were born in early July to mother Toba and father Argos, and it says Argos has since died of cancer.
It also describes the cubs as restless during Tuesday’s vaccinations, requiring veterinary staff to work with assistance and transport the cubs back and forth in carriers on electric buggies.
The Daily Pioneer quotes Dr Arsenoi Psaroudaki, a zoo and wildlife veterinarian, explaining that staff have to complete procedures quickly to minimise stress, saying, "The tigers don't like to be handled. They're very wild,".
The same report says the surviving cubs are expected to be named after characters from Homer's “The Odyssey,” and it says the cubs were fitted with microchips logged in a shared database and given a vaccine similar to one commonly administered to cats.
Why a backup population
The Daily Pioneer says the Sumatran tiger is critically endangered and that European zoos and others around the world are maintaining a safety population for possible future reintroductions into the wild. It quotes Babilis again, saying the safety population is maintained "so that in the future there can be potential reintroductions of this species into the wild."
The South China Morning Post frames the effort as a safety net, and it says the cubs’ birth in Greece offers hope for a predator rapidly vanishing from the wild. The Daily Pioneer also states that as few as 400 are estimated to remain in the wild, and it points to aggressive forest clearing among the main threats to their survival.