MIAMI – A highly endangered Sumatran tiger cub made its public debut Friday at Zoo Miami.
The male cub, Satu, was born Nov. 14 at the zoo and has been placed in the exhibit for feedings and some play time.
After several weeks of supplemental feeding and continued positive growth, he has started to be regularly exposed to the Sumatran tiger exhibit so he can experience the sights and smells of what will soon be his permanent home.
"Zoo staff has begun to establish a routine where the cub receives his afternoon feeding in the exhibit and is then given some time to explore some of the area to familiarize himself with it," Zoo Miami spokesman Ron Magill said.
The Sumatran tiger is a rare tiger subspecies that lives in the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
The tiger has been critically endangered since 2008, and is the only surviving member of the Sunda Islands group of tigers, which also includes the now-extinct Bali tiger and the Javan tiger.