Rare Sumatran tiger births mark US-RI conservation goal: officials

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The birth of two critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas highlights the shared commitment of Indonesia and the United States toward global wildlife conservation, officials said on Monday.

The male cubs, born on July 1 to first-time mother Ndari and father Rakan, mark the first-ever birth of Sumatran tigers in the zoo's history.

The facility announced their arrival publicly on October 2 after veterinary teams confirmed the mother and cubs were in stable health.

The cubs have been named Barani, meaning "brave" in Indonesian, and Malu, meaning "shy."

Zookeepers describe Barani as active and inquisitive, while Malu is calmer and more cautious.

At their public debut at 13 weeks old, each cub weighed between 8 and 9 kilograms.

Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Indroyono Soesilo highlighted the diplomatic resonance of the births, noting that Fort Worth became the first U.S. city to establish a sister-city partnership with an Indonesian municipality when it paired with Bandung, West Java, in April 1990.

"Barani and Malu were born in the United States, yet they carry a name, origin, and message from Indonesia," Indroyono said in an official statement released by the Indonesian Embassy in Washington.

"They demonstrate that the close ties between Bandung and Fort Worth, as well as between Indonesia and the United States, can continue to grow through education, culture, people-to-people friendship, and a shared dedication to wildlife conservation," he added.

The cubs are now on display in the zoo's Predators of Asia & Africa habitat, serving as ambassadors for the protection of their wild counterparts in Sumatra.

Translator: Uyu Septiyati Liman
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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