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Watch Rare Cubs Nadia and Azul 'Learn How to Be Tigers' at the Bronx Zoo

By Eddie Small | September 20, 2016 11:06am | Updated on September 20, 2016 12:17pm
 A pair of tiger cubs have debuted at the Bronx Zoo.
Tiger Cubs at Bronx Zoo
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THE BRONX —  Rare cubs Nadia and Azul are "learning how to be tigers" at the Bronx Zoo.

The Malayan cubs which are native to Southeast Asia were born in January and are now at home in the zoo's Tiger Mountain exhibit after being hand-raised by staffers.

“The majority of animals born at the Bronx Zoo are raised by their parents,” Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny said in a statement.

“But in certain cases, the moms need help raising offspring."

Nadia and Azul are the third litter of Malayan tigers to have been born at the zoo and initially required 24-hour care, according to the zookeeper.

They were fully weaned after 40 days and will initially be on display at Tiger Mountain for a few hours per day The time will increase as they get more comfortable in the habitat.

Malayan tigers are solitary and join together only to breed. Adults grow to weigh between 250 and 300 pounds, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the species as critically endangered and there are likely only about 250 of them left in the wild.

They are threatened by loss of habitat, poaching and depletion of prey. The Bronx Zoo is breeding them as part of the Species Survival Plan, according to the WCS spokesman Max Pulsinelli.

Breheny described Nadia and Azul as "ambassadors for their species" in a statement.

"As the cubs mature, they are learning ‘how to be tigers’ and following their instincts and developing the skills and behavior of adult tigers," he said.

"The transition process from cub to young adult is amazing to witness.”