Another first at Lowry Park Zoo. The zoo welcomed its first birth of a Malayan tiger cub in early September.
Larry Killmar, chief zoological officer, said they are leaving Bzui, the mother, and the unnamed cub alone in a whelping box. They won't know the sex of the young one -- which is just starting to open its eyes -- until workers can examine the cub.
Typically, the cubs are more than two pounds at birth. Zillmar said this one, which is eating well, looks to be about three pounds now.
The mother is owned by Busch Gardens, as is the father, which is moved from zoo to zoo as part of a species survival plan.
Bzui, which is Malayan for "she knows," was born in 2005 at Busch Gardens. She had a litter of three cubs in 2013.
Caretakers won't know the sex of the cub until they can examine it.
Zillmar said it will be three months before the cub is in an exhibit.
According to the zoo, the Malayan subspecies is the smallest in size of all the species of tigers. Males average 260 pounds and females weigh about 220 pounds.
The Malayan is an endangered species with a wild population of only 500 living in Thailand and Malaysia.
