London Zoo keepers capture moment tiger cub takes first wobbly steps outdoors
The determined youngster attempted to copy its mother, tumbling onto the soft grass along the way.
London Zoo has captured footage of its one-month-old endangered tiger cub’s first wobbly steps outside.
Zoo keepers spotted the critically endangered Sumatran tiger cub as it ventured outdoors in pursuit of its mother.
Sumatran tigers, from Indonesia, are the rarest and smallest subspecies of tiger, with the latest figures suggesting that only 300 remain in the wild.
Keepers then captured the moment the determined youngster attempted to copy its mother, tumbling onto the soft grass along the way.
Tiger keeper Kathryn Sanders said: “We were all holding our breath with excitement as the cub tottered around, using all its strength to clamber after mum.
“It was incredible to watch the youngster find its ‘tiger feet’ for the first time.”
Keepers will discover if the youngster is male or female at its first health check in a few weeks’ time
Originally expected to be part of a litter of three, the cub’s two siblings did not survive labour.
However, the birth is still a boost for a global breeding programme working with zoos from around the world to protect the species.
