They are the third generation of Sumatran tigers at the National Zoo. They join a multi-generational family at the National Zoo that includes their brother, mother, father and grandmother. The first generation is Kerinci, mother of Soyono, who is the cubs’ mother. The three males are the second litter for Soyono. Her first litter consisted of one male cub, Berani, born in September 2001; he will be three years old this fall. The sire of both litters, Rokan, also lives at the National Zoo. Male tigers do not stay with the female after mating, and do not participate in rearing the cubs.
Sumatran tigers are an endangered species, found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra in habitat that ranges from lowland forest to mountain forest. Fewer than 500 Sumatran tigers are believed to exist in the wild and approximately 200 live in zoos around the world. Sumatran tigers are the smallest tiger subspecies, weighing between 200 and 300 pounds when full-grown.
Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) sponsored a public contest to name the cubs. The names are as follows, loosely translated from Indonesian:
Marah (MAR-ah) – angry or fierce
Jalan (JA-lan) – journey or road
Besar (BA-sar) – big or mighty
(The above description was taken from the FONZ site at http://www.fonz.org.)
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