Seeing a mother take care of her cubs in the wild is extremely rare. They are so preoccupied with protecting and caring for their cubs that they spend weeks before giving birth finding the most secluded, safe parts of their territory to ensure nothing will jeopardize the cubs' safety. Therefore, being able to witness maternal behaviour in a zoo is something special indeed.

The mother here has been seen in my gallery before (see "Tatyana"). She is a Siberian tiger that gave birth to two cubs (which were sired by Tonghua) in July 2007. She would take time to relax from time to time, recovering from the energy it takes to look after these little balls of energy, but for the most part she was vigilant and extremely caring. It was quite the sight to behold.

A mother tigress can be so gentle and so loving, but in an instant can turn into one of the most frightening animals on earth. They are fierce guardians of their children and in the wild, will do everything it takes to protect them - even face invading males much larger than themselves, putting their lives in mortal peril.

It was a privilege to be able to witness the interactions of mother and cub and to be reminded of the virtues of the maternal tigress: the stalwart guardian.

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Tigers are the largest of the big cats and are exclusively found in Asia from India to Vietnam, from Indonesia to the Russian Far East. The tiger can be divided into 9 subspecies: 4 are currently critically endangered and 3 are already extinct. Though estimations of tiger populations only a few years ago was 5,500-6,000, today populations are likely closer to 3,500 and are still declining. Dramatic declines of the tiger in India, thought to host the majority of the world’s tigers, have fallen to less than 1,411. Overall, the past decade has seen a 40% reduction in tiger habitat, which now represents a mere 7% of its historic range. Poaching is a significant problem throughout the tiger’s range, the demand for its body parts in traditional medicines, tonics, and exotic dishes driving a lucrative trade that is wiping out entire populations. Long-term threats include habitat fragmentation and prey depletion, which is accelerating the tiger’s demise and subsequently reducing the long-term genetic viability of many populations.

If you want to help, the best for you to do is to educate yourself (http://www.savethetigerfund.org), never buy products made from tigers or endangered species (http://www.wildaid.org), and tell others. Contact me for more information.