Bukittinggi, Indonesia — Two Sumatran tiger cubs (Panthera tigris sumatrae) have been successfully born at the Taman Marga Satwa Budaya Kinantan (TMSBK) Wildlife Park in Bukittinggi, signaling a milestone in Indonesia’s efforts to conserve one of its most critically endangered species.
The first cub, Banun, was born on December 28, 2024. A second birth followed on May 3, 2025, resulting in a pair of healthy cubs.
During an official visit on June 22, Indonesian Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni and Chair of Commission IV of the House of Representatives Titiek Hediati Soeharto symbolically named the two newest cubs Lestari and Rizki.
The cubs are offspring of Bujang Mandeh, a male tiger rescued by the West Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) after he was caught in a poacher’s snare in Pesisir Selatan.
Due to the severity of his injury, Bujang Mandeh underwent leg amputation to save his life. The mother, Mantagi, is a tiger born at TMSBK from the pairing of Bancah and Dara Jingga, both of which are also part of the center’s long-term conservation breeding program.
With the birth of Lestari and Rizki, TMSBK now houses a total of 11 Sumatran tigers, making it one of the key conservation institutions on Sumatra for this critically endangered species, which is listed under the IUCN Red List.
TMSBK operates in partnership with the West Sumatra BKSDA under the Directorate General of Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems (KSDAE), Ministry of Forestry. The agency provides regulatory oversight, technical assistance, and monitoring of the center’s conservation programs.
These recent births underscore the vital importance of collaborative wildlife conservation and represent a beacon of hope for one of the world’s rarest big cats. (*)
