Siberian tiger cub makes debut
Zoo holding online contest to name male
Suzanne Goldman, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, July 06, 2007

A shy Siberian tiger cub appeared more of a mama's boy than a ferocious carnivore at its public debut Thursday at the Calgary Zoo.

The 13.5-kilogram, striped ball of fur was born March 21, but has remained out of the public eye to heal from a back injury sustained from being carried in the mouth of its mother, Kita. The cub was treated with stitches and is now ready for viewing in the Eurasia exhibit daily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

"It's really cute," said Nicole Pineau, who waited with her 20-month-old daughter Isabella to catch a glimpse of the unnamed cub. "He just poked out for literally 10 seconds."

The male cub sought refuge by snuggling behind its lounging 14-year-old mother and occasionally darting behind a tree.

The zoo is holding an online contest to name the baby tiger -- vote for Vitali or Vostok to honour its Russian heritage, or opt for a fun crowd-pleaser with Mr. Whiskers or Stitch.

"I think Stitch is kind of cute," said Pineau, confirming early speculation by zookeepers that Stitch would be a favourite.

The cub may be cuddly now, but a daily diet of wild meat (mostly venison) is expected to help the little guy reach a weight of more than 180 kilograms once fully grown, at age five, said Larry Miller, one of two main keepers for the cub in Eurasia West.

The cub joins three adult Siberian tigers living at the zoo. Miller said 11 other cubs have been born in the city over the years -- an unusually high number for one zoo, as only 700 are in captivity globally. Calgary-born cubs can be found living in zoos around the world, including Winnipeg and the Czech Republic.

Siberian tigers, known officially as Amur tigers, are critically endangered and part of the zoo's species survival plan. The U.S. co-ordinator of the worldwide program will determine if the newest Calgary cub will later be relocated.

The tigers once lurked in parts of Russia, Mongolia, China and the Korean peninsula, but development has destroyed their habitat and limited their presence to just 400 that are protected in three sanctuaries, said Miller.

The lack of natural habitat makes it unlikely these creatures will ever be released into the wild, he said.