Sumatran Tiger Cubs at San Francisco Zoo

Getting a head count of Leanne's cubs has been a challenge, with zoo staff reticent to disturb the Sumatran tiger and her babies. When the mother tiger left her nesting area for a drink of water, however, staff got a visual of three cubs.

It's the first birth of Sumatran tigers at the San Francisco Zoo since 1956. And, considering the precarious state of Sumatran tiger populations worldwide (there are 400 to 500 living in the wild), it's no surprise that the zoo is celebrating this development.

The tiger cubs will not be on view to the public for a few months, while they gain their feline strength and coordination.

^{Image Courtesy of San Francisco Zoo}