Vietnam zoo tiger delivers five cubs

An Indochinese tiger gave birth to five cubs at the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden and all are in good condition, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported.

The 10-year-old tigress was brought from a Hue zoo and the father is a seven-year-old brought from Hanoi, the paper reported, carrying pictures of the mother and cubs for the first time since the delivery a month ago.

The tigress had been mated with several males from other countries in the region but failed to conceive.

Pham Viet Lam, the zoo's director, said it is rare for a captive tiger to deliver five cubs, with two or three being the normal number.

The zoo staff have separated the two weakest cubs from their mother for special care, he said, explaining that weak cubs are often unable to compete with their siblings to suckle.

All the cubs weight 2 – 4 kilograms (4.4-8.8 lbs).

Another Indochinese tiger is pregnant, according to the zoo.

Indochinese tigers (Panthera tigris corbetti) are found throughout Indochina.

But in 2007 the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species categorized them as endangered after their population declined to less than 2,500 individuals with no subpopulation having more than 250.