Cute tiger cubs make their debut at Leofoo Village; kids become little animal keepers

Leofoo Village held a little tiger keeper experience event on the 10th. To protect the newborn tiger cubs, children wore gloves to get up close and personal. (Photo by Zhuang E?)

Triplet brothers born in the Year of the Tiger became little tiger keepers on the 10th, teaming up to feed the month-old tigers milk and experiencing the hardships their mothers went through at birth. (Photo by Zhuang E?)

At Leofoo Village’s little tiger keeper experience event on the 10th, the cubs started to get drowsy after feeding, looking adorably dozy. (Photo by Zhuang E?)

Leofoo Village hosted a little tiger keeper experience event on the 10th, inviting families to learn more about tiger cubs. (Photo by Zhuang E?)

Leofoo Village hosted a little tiger keeper experience event on the 10th, inviting families to learn more about tiger cubs. (Photo by Zhuang E?)

Three “adorable” Bengal tiger cubs — two males and one female — were born last month at Leofoo Village Theme Park in Hsinchu County. On the 10th, the park’s animal hospital held a “Cute Creatures’ Classroom – Little Tiger Keepers” experience event, with triplet brothers also born in the Year of the Tiger joining in to help feed the cubs and understand the challenges their mothers faced at birth.

The park noted that the triplet tiger cubs were born around December last year, weighing just over 1 kilogram each. However, as their mother was a first-time mum and may not have been familiar with caring for them, veterinarians and keepers took on the role of surrogate caregivers, feeding the cubs eight times a day when they were one day old, reducing to five times a day now, helping the cubs grow.

The “Cute Creatures’ Classroom – Little Tiger Keepers” event on the 10th was held at the park’s animal hospital, inviting children aged six and above, accompanied by parents, to learn about the growth of tiger cubs. The park stated that although the tiger cubs weighed less than humans at birth, they gain around 100 grams per day, growing astonishingly fast. By one month old, they are already close to 5 kilograms, and by around one year old, they will be similar in size to adult tigers. In the future, the cubs will gradually be reintegrated into the tiger group.

Zhang Yijun, the parent who brought the triplet brothers born in the Year of the Tiger to the event, said she was moved to hear how little the tiger cubs weighed at birth. Her own child weighed just 1.6 kilograms at birth, so she understands how hard it is for veterinarians to care for them. She laughed and said that when her children were newborns, they all looked quite similar, and there was even a time when one was fed twice by mistake. Now, her three children — Big Tiger, Second Tiger, and Little Tiger — are all in elementary school and even helped take care of the baby tigers and feed them on the 10th, which made her very happy.

The park noted that to celebrate the birth of the tiger cubs, aside from launching a naming campaign on Leofoo Village’s Facebook fan page, there is also a “Little Tiger Keepers Public Welfare Experience Program,” inviting people across the country to witness the growth of the tiger cubs. During the experience, veterinarians will guide children and parents in learning how to care for the tiger cubs and understanding the importance of animal conservation.

The “Little Tiger Keepers Public Welfare Experience Program” will run from January 12 to April 1 by appointment only, open to children aged six and above. Sessions are held daily from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with a maximum of 8 participants per session. One-tenth of the proceeds from the program will be donated to the Chuang Fu Cultural and Educational Foundation for animal conservation and educational research. Leofoo Village Theme Park’s official online store offers a limited-edition “Little Tiger Keepers – Public Welfare Experience Program” on weekdays for NT$1,999 per person, which also includes admission to Leofoo Village. Leofoo Manor Eco-Resort is also launching the “Little Tigers’ Little Keepers – Limited-Time Public Welfare Stay Package,” available for pre-order on Leofoo Manor’s Facebook page from now until the 11th, with a one-tenth service fee discount for advance bookings. For details, visit the Leofoo Village official website or Facebook fan page.