There is no doubt that the Toronto Zoo announced after 104 days of pregnancy that their resident tiger Mazyria (affectionately known as the Mazy of zoo staff) has recently given birth to three cubs. The spud national newborn is a descendant of the former Majesty of six, as he had previously given birth to three cubs at the Granby Zoo in Canada in 2013.
Most new members of the Amur Tiger (Panther Tigris altaica) family arrived overnight on April 30, 2021 and everyone is reported to be doing well. The Toronto Zoo team is using remote cameras to monitor the health of mothers and babies, to give them little privacy and to ensure that they do not interfere with any caring and compelling behavior. This compromise comes in handy for everyone, as Mazy and his little potato kids are running around during the day for the pleasure of watching you in the video below.
In the clips, Maggie can be seen performing her maternal duties with duty and enriching her little ones (even she occasionally throws them away – unbalanced, when you’re a goat, a stripy lump) but balance isn’t an easy thing to do. The first month is an important time for newborn cubs and so zoo staff can avoid any contact with babies until their first veterinary checkup in about six to eight weeks. This means that their genders remain a mystery for now (but please don’t publish any more disruptive stunts).
In addition to exploding motherhood, Maui seems to be breaking records; she is also one of the oldest Amur tigers to give birth to a 14-year-old species surviving in a planned village. The Zoo and Aquariums Association created the Species Survival Plan in 1981 to ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, many of which were threatened or endangered in the wild.
In order to preserve genetic diversity, they matched breeding pairs around the world, thus coming to meet the father of the former newborn, Vasili. Dolf DeJong, Chief Executive Officer at Toronto Zoo said in a statement, “This birth is an important contribution to the genetically healthy Amur tiger population.”
“Amur tigers are under increasing pressure due to declining habitat and poaching. It is important that we educate the people about the plight of their floods and the threats they face and that we do our best to reduce them and stop the declining population. Together we can make a positive difference!” According to the IUCN Red List, less than 500 Amur tigers are thought to be in the wild, but the species has improved their conservation status. In the 1930s, only 20-30 animals were thought to be endangered, including hunting and habitat threats.
