The Amur tiger triplets born at the Saint Louis Zoo last November made their public debut this month — and let’s just say we’ve never seen anything cuter.
The zoo says three-and-a-half-month-old cubs Darya (female), Ussuri (male), and Sungari (male) were first allowed into the outdoor enclosure in Big Cat Country on March 6, and quickly got down to the business of being tiger kittens: pouncing, exploring, getting tongue baths, and getting a little independence from mom Reka. (Proud dad Maxim gets sole proprietorship of the indoor enclosure while the kittens are outside.) And yes, they love to wrestle each other!
The zoo reports that, as of two weeks ago, the triplets weighed between 35 and 41 pounds. “They’re nursing a little less, eating more meat and love chewing on bones.”
Amur tigers are critically endangered. The triplets are the first successful tiger births in the Saint Louis Zoo in a decade — which means they’re not just adorable, they also play an important role in keeping Amur tigers from extinction.
Scroll down for photos of this very cute trio from the RFT's Zachary Linhares and Sana'a Abou Antoun.
