Minnesota Zoo reveals Amur tiger cub names
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. -- The Minnesota Zoo's new tiger cubs finally have names.
The zoo put one of the Amur tiger cub's names to a community vote, while the other two were determined by staff and zoo stakeholders. One of the male cubs was named Vostok by the community. The other male cub is named Brosno, and the female cub is named Yana.
The cubs were born in April to mother Dari and made their public debut earlier this month. They are 15 weeks old and the zoo said they are "playing and exploring each day."
The zoo said their names are "representative of the region and culture of the species' native habitat in the wild," which is eastern Asia. Vostok and Brosno reference lakes while Yana references a river.
There are about 500 Amur tigers remaining in the wild. The species is among the most endangered on the planet, as their numbers have dramatically declined over the last several decades due to habitat loss, poaching, and loss of prey, zoo officials say.