Tiger Cubs Now One
Posted at 8:40 am August 7, 2006 by Bridget Mulholland
It has been quite some time since my last blog about Mata and Rimba, the Malayan tiger cubs at the San Diego Zoo (see Bridget's blog, Update on Tiger Cubs). The young boys are doing very well, and continue to grow. Rimba currently weighs in at 230 pounds (104.5 kilograms) and his brother, Mata, is 220 pounds (100 kilograms). (Pictured left to right are Mek, Rimba, and Mata.)
Although they are bigger than their mom (Mek's latest weight was 193 pounds or 88 kilograms), they still act like youngsters! They can be seen frolicking around their newly renovated exhibit in Tiger River from 9 a.m. until noon every day. Just after the cubs' 1st birthday on June 4, we made some changes to their exhibit. We added a new rock cave and sleeping area, and lots of new plants. Rimba and Mata have been very busy ever since, tearing up the ferns and honeysuckle we planted!
Because the past few weeks have been extremely warm in San Diego, the boys have also been spending a lot of their time in the three pools in their exhibit. They've been swimming and splashing in the water while playing with heavy-duty plastic balls and spools. Mek hasn't been playing as much with the boys as she used to (they play really rough!), but she has been spending some alone time cooling off, fully submerged in the smallest pool near the lower viewing window.
Now that the cubs are more than a year old, their adult teeth are starting to come in. We have been monitoring the eruption of both their deciduous and adult teeth very closely because of the possibility of inheriting a very serious dental problem from their father, Awang Relak. So far the boys' teeth are looking pretty good; however, both Mata and Rimba have not yet lost their baby canine teeth, even though the adult canines have erupted and are starting to get big. The vet staff isn't worried yet, though, because this isn't terribly uncommon. We just have to keep a close eye on the cubs' mouths, and we may have to pull a few teeth if they don't come out on their own. But, along with looking at their mouths, I'll definitely be searching for lost baby teeth when I clean their bedrooms!
Bridget Mulholland is a senior mammal keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
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August 7th, 2006 at 9:00 am
Thanks for another interesting and informative blog, Bridget. So the boys are now bigger than mom. Sounds like my grandsons! I've been finding it impossible to tell them (the tigers, that is) apart in the past few months. Have any plans been made for them once they're fully grown? They surely will be valuable additions to the gene pool, and a real treat for visitors to whichever institution they're sent to.
August 7th, 2006 at 9:52 am
Went to visit the boys & Mom last Sat. I had trouble telling them apart at first because the boys are so big! They are a very handsome family. Thanks for the update, Bridget!
August 7th, 2006 at 2:17 pm
Thanks for the update on Rimba and Mata; they are getting so big. I love to come and watch them no matter what they are doing. With the heat I haven't seen them much lately but I did get to see them this past week and I am planning on coming there this week to see them; hopefully, I will get to see them in the pools. I sure hope they start losing their baby teeth and don't develop problems like their Dad. I hope to see these two guys for a long time to come, they are such beautiful creatures and for us to be able to see them up close is amazing and they are always doing something different. Again, thanks for the update and the picture of Rimba, Mata and their Mom, Mek. They all seem to be doing well and having fun…
August 11th, 2006 at 2:19 pm
I adore tigers and these beautiful boys are perfect. I saw a PBS program warning of the extinction of these wonderful cats in 10 years or less based on Chinese use of their bodies for potions. That breaks my heart and makes me grateful for your commitment to the species.