FORT WORTH, Texas — The Fort Worth Zoo has welcomed its first-ever Sumatran tiger cubs, two sisters born in July to first-time mother Ndari and father Rakan.
The cubs are now 12 weeks old and weigh about 20 pounds each, roughly the weight of a large pumpkin.
The smaller cub, Barani, has a name that means “brave,” while her sister, Malu, has a name that means “reserved.”
The cubs live in the zoo’s renovated Predators of Asia and Africa habitat, which opened in 2023.
Sumatran tigers rank among the world’s critically endangered big cats, with fewer than 650 estimated to remain in the wild.
The cubs’ birth marks the first time the Fort Worth Zoo has recorded the birth of Sumatran tiger cubs.
“It’s always exciting to welcome new babies and watch them grow here at the Zoo,” Fort Worth Zoo Chairman Ramona Bass said. “But we’re hopeful that these cubs will inspire a new generation to learn about and care for their wild counterparts and the future of this critically endangered species.”