Adorable pictures of cute Sumatran tiger cubs at London Zoo

ZSL London Zoo has announced the names of three tiger cubs born at the conservation zoo in June – Inca, Zac and Crispin. 

The names of the critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs were chosen by ZSL supporters at the charity’s Safari in the City Gala in September, raising £51,000 for the zoos’s vital work for wildlife.

ZSL London Zoo tiger keeper Martin O ‘Sullivan said: “Inca, Zac and Crispin are great names for these feisty cubs – now four-months-old and growing fast. 

“Inca loves her food and is always ready to defend a bit of chicken from her brothers if necessary. Crispin is a little quieter than his two boisterous siblings, and is definitely a mummy’s boy - preferring to snuggle up to Gaysha in the sun - while Zac is the largest cub and loves playfighting with his sister, getting an early start on developing their hunting skills.

“We can tell the trio apart by the stripe patterns on their faces, which are unique to every tiger - we’re delighted that all three have now been officially named.” 

Female Inca and males Zac and Crispin are part of a global conservation effort to protect their species through a collaborative European breeding programme amongst zoos. With only around 300 Sumatran tigers left in the wild, the three new cubs represent a fantastic boost to conservation. 

Martin added: “We’re so grateful to all of ZSL’s supporters, especially those who came to September’s gala to help raise funds for ZSL to protect species - one of ZSL’s four approaches to restoring the diversity of life everywhere. By bidding on the chance to name these Critically Endangered cubs, generous donors raised £51,000 – a huge contribution to the total £450,000 raised from the night.

“Though adult tigers are experts at camouflage, the cubs are definitely still only at the practise stage; alongside our visitors, we’ve loved watching them play hide and seek in Tiger Territory this autumn, honing this skill and others such as stalking and pouncing. 

“Supporting ZSL and the natural world can come in many forms, including paying a visit to the Zoo and with half-term approaching it’s the perfect time to book a wild day out in support of conservation.”

ZSL is open for October half-term. Book tickets online at www.zsl.org/london.