Visitors, members and followers of Adelaide Zoo are being called upon to help name one of the three cubs which Sumatran Tiger Delilah gave birth to late last year.
She’s already a chuffingly sweet tiger cub with her dash of stripes, little white whiskers, super large paws and the bluest eyes – and with the public’s help, she’ll have the sweetest name too.
“We have thought long and hard about a name for this little girl,” Arliah Hayward, Senior Keeper of Carnivores says.
“With assistance from one of our long standing supporters, we’ve come up with three suggestions that have been checked by our friends at the Indonesian Embassy. Each of these names perfectly fits her character.
“The Indonesian names to choose from are: Megah (muh-gah) meaning magnificent, Tabah (ta-bahh) meaning determined and Marni (mar-ni) meaning loyal and persistent (and which also means good in Kaurna).
“People can vote by going onto our website and selecting their favourite. The name will be announced along with the names of her two siblings very soon.
“This little girl is pretty vocal and has started chuffing to us, just like her mum.
“Chuffing is a friendly greeting that tigers use to express that they are content and their desire to bond with other tigers and humans. This little one is also very determined when it comes to food and is driven by her stomach,” finished Arliah.
The little cub, her sister and brother are the firstborn cubs for Delilah and Dad, Kembali.
Born in December 2022, the threesome has stayed with mum in a cubbing den and back-of-house habitat to bond and grow in strength.
They will soon be at a stage where they can enter their habitat and be on view to their adoring public.
Sadly, the Sumatran Tiger is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN with less than 400 thought to remain due to habitat loss, poaching and the human-wildlife conflict.
They now only survive in pockets of protected land that is being encroached upon by agriculture for unsustainable palm oil plantations and road building.
Zoos SA supports Sumatran Tigers in the wild through conservation group Wildlife Asia.
Vote for your favourite name to go into the draw to win a double pass to a giraffe feed, including entry to Adelaide Zoo.
Zoos SA
Adelaide Zoo location: Frome Rd, Adelaide SA 5000
To vote: click here
Entries close: Wednesday 29 March 2023
For more information on how you can shop with purpose to save species like the Sumatran Tiger from extinction, click here.
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