Endangered Sumatran Tiger Gives Birth At Sacramento Zoo

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - An endangered Sumatran tiger gave birth to a male cub in the early hours of March 3 at the Sacramento Zoo.

"The birth of any Sumatran Tiger is a great contribution to this critically endangered species," said Zoo Director Mary Healy.

The male cub weighed in at a heavy 3 pounds; newborn cubs usually weigh about 2 pounds. Both mother and baby appear to be healthy according to zoo officials.

Born with eyes closed, cubs rely entirely on their mother for the first three months of their lives. During this time, the mother, Bahagia, and her cub will be kept away from public view as the baby develops. Both are expected to return to exhibit by late May or early June.

The newborn is Bahagia and her mate Castro's fifth living offspring, one of which just fathered a cub at the San Francisco Zoo.

The endangered tigers are only found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra off the Malaysian Peninsula. Fewer than 500 are believed to exist in the wild and about 200 live in zoos around the world.