THERE WAS DOUBLE DELIGHT FOR DREAMWORLD WITH THE ARRIVAL OF TWIN TIGER CUBS EARLIER THIS YEAR.
There’s nothing more exciting than welcoming a new member into the family. Except when that delivery is twins. And except when those twins are adorable tiger cubs!
The Dreamworld family was delighted to announce the birth of two female tiger cubs at Tiger Island earlier this year. Tiger mum, Nika, was a trooper throughout the process, giving birth to the healthy sister cubs an hour apart, weighing in at 1.4kg and 1.6kg.
They’ve since been named Melati and Mya. Their names were selected by Tiger Island staff and chosen from more than 2000 suggestions received online. Melati is an Indonesian name meaning “Jasmine flower” and Mya is an ancient name which has many origins, meaning “beloved” or “great”.
The birth heralds the first pitter-patter of newborn paws at Dreamworld since 2015 and the sixth litter born at Dreamworld since Tiger Island opened in 1995. Dreamworld’s General Manager of Life Sciences, Al Mucci, said the birth of the cubs marked
another important step forward in the global tiger conservation movement, supported by the Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation.
“As Queensland and the Gold Coast gear up to welcome visitors from around the country and the world for the Commonwealth Games in April, it’s a perfect time for Dreamworld to be promoting the tiger conservation message,” Al says.
“These two beautiful cubs will be fantastic global ambassadors for their endangered cousins in the wild.
“Around the world, it is estimated there are fewer than 4000 tigers alive in the wild. Tigers are listed as critically endangered and Dreamworld’s breeding program is helping to ensure a long-term future for these magnificent animals. Our Tiger Island facility is focussed on educating guests on the perilous state of wild tigers.
“We’re very proud of the fact the Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation is one of the world’s largest financial contributors to wild tiger conservation. Tiger programs are a core component of the tiger conservation movement and we plan on these two girls growing up to be mums of their own, as part of breeding programs with our other Australian zoo partners,” Al says.
Dreamworld visitors will be able to view the cubs through Tiger Island’s interactive ‘up-close’ viewing windows with interactive tiger cub experiences, including guest photos and walks, set to be enjoyed by visitors in time for the Commonwealth Games.
WILD TIGER CONSERVATION FAST FACTS
- Tigers are listed as critically endangered, which classifies them as “Very High Risk of Extinction in the Wild”
- Due to poaching and deforestation, it is estimated there are fewer than 4000 wild tigers in the world today
- The Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation has contributed more than $2 million toward Tiger Conservation programs since launching in 2012
- Money raised at Dreamworld for the Wildlife Foundation goes directly to fund frontline conservation activities in tiger conservation areas in Russia and Indonesia
- Dreamworld provides funding to organisations such as Wild Cats (formerly 21st Century Tiger), Fauna and Flora International and The Pheonix Fund. These organisations police the jungles to find and destroy tiger traps, and track and arrest poachers. They also run programs in local communities to educate people on the critically endangered status of wild tigers
- All tigers at Dreamworld were bred in wildlife centres. None of the tigers at Dreamworld were removed from the wild.
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