The chance to witness the birth of two Sumatran tiger cubs is indeed a rare event.
This special moment was even more wondrous when the mother tiger effectively saved the first cub’s life.
Kaitlyn, who lives at The Australia Zoo, had just given birth to her first cub, and her caretakers are absolutely thrilled.
However, after two agonizing minutes, the little guy was still not breathing normally.
In the video, you can see the newborn gasp several times but not actually breathe on his own. The little one would have died if Kaitlyn’s mothering instincts had not kicked in.
Kaitlyn begins to thoroughly lick the cub all over, which stimulates the lungs to function normally.
The new mom is successful in reviving the cub, and he is soon breathing on his own without any problems, much to everyone’s relief.
After a few minutes, a second male cub makes his debut into the world. This little boy is much more active mere seconds after birth and has no difficulties breathing.
These new additions would soon be named Hunter and Clarence. They were the first tigers to born at The Australia Zoo.
They will spend some time with mom for a few weeks, then their caretakers will assume all the responsibilities of raising them.
This allows the tiger cubs to bond with their handlers, who will interact with and care for the tigers for their entire lives.
New mom Kaitlyn is considered to be one of the most genetically important individuals in the world.
Her father was a tiger living in captivity, but her mother was a wild born tiger.
Kaitlyn’s bloodlines make her offspring incredibly valuable to the survival of her species.
Unfortunately, there are only around 500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. Australia Zoo is doing their best to ensure that this gorgeous species does not disappear entirely.
In this case, it is fair to say that Kaitlyn should get all the credit. Good job Kaitlyn!