Malayan Tiger Expecting Cubs at Zoo
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society has announced that Berapi Api, a ten-year-old Malayan tiger who mothered three male cubs at the Zoo in 2011, is expected to give birth within the next six weeks. This will be her fourth litter, and the second litter sired by Keemasan Mata, who returned to the Zoo in January. This pregnancy is significant because the Malayan tiger is a critically endangered species.
Berapi has a belly bulge, as shown in this photo taken on May 8 by Zookeeper Stacey Konwiser
The two tigers were paired in February through a breeding recommendation made by the Tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP) of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The two tigers were separated after breeding, since tigers are solitary in the wild. Mata will remain on exhibit at the Palm Beach Zoo.
Berapi has been exhibiting signs of pregnancy, including steady weight gain and a growing belly that has shown movement in the past week. A tiger’s gestational period is typically 93-110 days, with 100 days being the average.
“We are cautiously optimistic since we have done the best we can in preparing for this,” said Jan Steele, General Curator for the Zoo. “Every pregnancy comes with risk, and we are giving Berapi space to allow her to have the safest birthing environment possible.”