Look What Santa Brought: Four Baby Tigers on Display at Wildlife World Zoo

One year old "Nash" and "Raja" have new teammates. Their four baby sisters, 2 white and 2 orange tigers born little over 1 month ago, are now on display at the Wildlife World Zoo. Big sister, Nash and big brother Raja, weigh about 150 pounds each, eat only meat, and reside in a spacious outdoor habitat. Their 10-12 pound younger siblings drink bottles of milk several times a day and currently live in a climate controlled nursery room. As for what to call them, it seemed appropriate to name the cubs after others from the Phoenix Suns: Amaré (a.k.a Stat), D'Antoni, Marion (a.k.a. Matrix), and McCoy.

Excitement for this new litter comes at a time when the news has not been good for tigers in the wild.

In May 2007, news reports from India citing problems with census data collection over the past few decades, suggested the actual number of Bengal tigers remaining in the wild was 1300-1500, or less than half the number previously thought. What makes this particularly troubling for AZA accredited zoos and other conservation-minded organizations is that the Bengal tiger is by far the most numerous of the 5 remaining subspecies of tiger. One subspecies from China is so rare that few have been spotted in 20 years, leaving some to believe that species is extinct in the wild.

Illegal poaching and trade in tiger parts, human encroachment, and habitat loss are largely to blame for the dramatic decline in tigers worldwide. Wildlife World Zoo officials hope the new litter will help contribute to greater awareness of the imminent threat of extinction facing tigers and other large predators.

The Wildlife World Zoo is located at 16501 W. Northern Ave., Litchfield Park, AZ 85340. We are open 365 days a year, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Daytime admission is $16.99 for adults and $8.99 for children 3 to 12, children two and under are free. For more information contact Mickey Ollson, Zoo Director, or Antoinette Cancellaro, at (623) 935-WILD (9453) or visit www.Wildlifeworld.com.