(Cincinnati, Oh.)-- The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden says three Malaysian tiger cubs are growing up strong and healthy under the watchful eye of Blakely, an Australian shepherd. The dog has been caring for the feline cubs since they were rejected by their mother after birth.
The cubs named Chira, Batari, and Izzy are still in the Cincinnati Zoo Children's Zoo Nursery, but they will soon be in a larger enclosure for Zoo Baby month in May. Zoo Director Thane Maynard says "not that many Malaysian tigers are in zoos, so it is an important thing that we have a breeding program."
Maynard says he hopes to get the zoo's baby hippo, Fiona, out for the public to see by June, as long as she keeps getting stronger.