Three baby Bengal tigers will make their public debut on Valentine’s Day at Chiang Mai’s Tiger Kingdom.
The two males and a female were born Jan. 7 to father Mongkol, 8, and mother Mimi, 10. The cubs and mother currently are being kept in a plush cage with mattresses, blankets and heat lamps.
Zoo veterinarian Sateeporn Wongkanti said the cubs will be introduced to the public on Feb. 14.
Sateeporn said the babies are healthy and strong and drinking milk from bottles. All will be vaccinated before being released to the public.
Tiger pregnancies are short at just more than three months. Most litters have an average of three cubs. Tiger Kingdom sees a half dozen births a year, he said.
Kotchkorn Chaiyabut, managing director for Trakan Tiger Kingdom Co., said that since the Bengal cubs were born while there were no visiting tourists, the zoo used social media to promote their birth and build excitement for their public debut.
Kotchkorn said the zoo has suffered like most tourist attractions, but it has maintained its full roster of employees, although workers agreed to take 50-percent pay cuts.
It’s hoped the release of the new tigers will revive business in the spring.
