Tiger cubs on way, zoo staff say

The tiger population at Assiniboine Park Zoocould soon be growing.

Zoo staffbelieve Kendra, a 12-year-old Amur tiger, also knownas a Siberian tiger, is pregnant and could give birth to at least one tiger cub at any moment.

While diagnosing pregnancies in animals such as tigers is rarely accomplished with total certainty,the zoo said in a news release, veterinary staffsay Kendra's hormone levels and breeding behaviour indicate she is pregnant.

"Everyone at the Assiniboine Park Zoo is beyond excited about this expected arrival," said Tim Sinclair-Smith, director of zoological operations. "We hope to see a very special addition to the zoo family in the coming days so we're monitoring Kendra very closely and hope to have an official announcement soon."

Although zoo births come with some risk, Sinclair-Smith is optimistic Kendra will deliver her cub successfully.

"Kendra is a proven mother which automatically increases the chances of success dramatically," Sinclair-Smith said.

'Fantastic' success rate

"You always have to accept that a birth may not go according to plan but the Assiniboine Park Zoo has a fantastic birth success rate [estimated to be between 80-90 per cent in 2011 and well above the North American zoo average, according to the news release] and we hope to be adding to that success very soon."

Although there is always a risk of mortality with any animal birth, Amur tigers, like all species, typically see a much greater birth survival rate in a zoo setting as opposed to the wild, the zoo said.

The Assiniboine Park Zoo is a founding member of the tiger species survival program, which collates the collection of tigers in North America and then matches pairs to ensure the most diverse genetics possible.

Pure genetics

Animals in the program, including both Amur tigers at Assiniboine Park, must be able to be traced back to the wild with their heritage to ensure pure genetics of the animals, the zoo said.

If predictions are correct in Kendra's case, visitors to the zoo can expect to see the cubs in the tiger exhibit within approximately four to six weeks of their birth, the zoo said.

At this time, it is unknown how many cubs Kendra will have, the zoo said. The average litter size is two butas many as four are possible.

The zoo has enjoyed a long list of successful births this year, including Canadian lynx, red pandas, musk ox and Stone sheep just to name a few, the zoo said.