Rare Sumatran Tiger Gives Birth To Three Cubs In Indonesia

A rare Sumatran tiger has given birth to three cubs at an Indonesian zoo in a welcome boost for the endangered species, an official said.

The big cat gave birth to four cubs at Taman Rimba zoo in Jambi province but one died at once, according to provincial tourism and cultural agency head Didi Wuryanto.

"I'm overjoyed. This is a extraordinary achievement," Wuryanto told AFP.

He said the parents of the cubs, male and female tigers called Peter and Uni, had been shifted to Jambi on Sumatra island from Ragunan zoo in Jakarta.

"It's hard to take care of tigers. Thanks to the effort of the people in the zoo, there is hope now that we can assist in saving the tiger population," he said.

Human-animal conflicts are a increasing problem as people encroach on wildlife habitats in Indonesia, an archipelago with some of the world's largest remaining tropical forests.

There are hardly 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild in Indonesia, conservation group WWF said.