TAIPING: There is nothing happier than receiving this delightful news that three Malayan tigers (Panthera tigris jacksoni) cubs were born at the Taiping Zoo and Night Safari last month.

The cubs’ mother, Baby, gave birth to them on Apr 12, the last day of the second phase of Movement Control Order (MCO).

Taiping Municipal Council chairman Khairul Amir Mohamad Zubir said the cubs, weighing between 700gram and 900gram, and their 11-year-old mother was in a stable and good condition.

Baby was also born at the zoo, which currently has eight tigers in total now.

“However, the cubs’ gender has yet to be identified. We have also yet to name them.

“Every new cub will live with their mothers at least for 18 months and wean off when it reaches between three- and four-month-old,” he said in a statement.

According to zoo director Dr. Kevin Lazarus, the Malayan tiger’s lifespan would usually last between 16 and 20 years old, adding that this was the fourth birth of Malayan tiger at the zoo since 2009.

“The birth of the cubs was realized by a zookeeper. At this moment, the zookeepers will ensure that the mother and the cubs are in the most comfortable and safest place.”

On a more positive note, Dr. Lazarus said the Malayan tigers’ population was expected to increase by 500 within five years.

He said the zoo would always strive to assist the country in its role in the breeding, conservation, and learning of wildlife in the country.

Entry fee to the zoo, located at Bukit Larut, Taiping, is RM16 for adults and RM8 for senior citizens (60 years and above) and children. It is open every day.

Established in 1961, there are now more than 1,300 animals in the zoo.