Jingga, an eight year old female Sumatran Tiger, at the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center is pregnant. Ultrasound has confirmed two, probably three and possibly four cubs.
The cubs are due to be born sometime in October. “While we know there were a lot of fireworks going off in the tiger habitat on July 4, we don’t know if that is the actual date the cubs were conceived,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. Sumatran tiger gestation typically has a range of 90 to 110 days.
The father of the cubs is Sanjiv, a seven year old Sumatran Tiger who was born at Zoo Atlanta. He transferred to the Topeka Zoo in 2017 from the Akron Zoo at the recommendation of the Sumatran Tiger SSP. This is the first time that Sanjiv has fathered any offspring.
Eight year old, Jingga was born at the Sacramento Zoo and came to Topeka in 2012. In 2014, Jingga gave birth to three tiger cubs who now reside at the Nashville Zoo.
Sumatran Tigers are critically endangered with only about 400 Sumatran Tigers left in the wild. The Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center is an active participant in the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan which strives to maintain enough genetic diversity to manage a healthy population of tigers under human care for 100 years. During that 100 year time frame, it is hoped that enough problems can be corrected in their native habitats that it will be safe enough for tiger populations to begin growing through natural breeding and tiger reintroductions back to the wild.
Patrons of the locally owned Blind Tiger Brewery and Restaurant who drink Tiger Bite IPA also support Sumatran Tiger Conservation. A quarter from every draw sold goes to the Topeka Zoo’s Conservation Fund. The funding then goes to the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan housed at the Minnesota Zoo. From there, the funding goes to the Wildlife Conservation Society which has a field office on the Island of Sumatra in Southeast Asia. The funding is then used to hire an armed wildlife ranger by the name of Badar Johan who works daily to prevent illegal poaching and illegal farming and deforestation.
