Cuteness in Copenhagen

14.7.2025 – Photos by Gerti Bichel

Gerti has visited the Copenhagen Zoo and met many sweet animals there. In this article you will meet the cute tiger baby and a sweet Eastern guoll.

This is the story of the baby illustrated with Gerti’s photos.

tiger1

tiger2

Veterinarians and zookeepers alike had given up hope. The male and female tigers had been living together in the outdoor enclosure since 2022, when the male arrived at the ZOO. Back then, the expectation was that cubs would soon appear.

The mother was born in the Copenhagen Zoo on the 18th of April 2013. The father was born in 2013 in France.

But nothing happened.

And when the female was 11 years old, which is old in tiger years. The tiger team thought that the race was over.

tiger7

However, a mating was spotted in late October. So when the female tiger suddenly changed her behaviour exactly 3.5 months later, which is the gestation period for a tiger, they could still allow hope to return.

-“We had trained her for several weeks to lie down and get a pregnancy scan, as we had a feeling that there might be cubs. However, it’s very difficult to see on a predator as the foetus is very small. But almost from one moment to the next, she didn’t want to play along and do what we had practised. We know the animals very well, so we were extra attentive,” says Zaco Sonne, zookeeper in the predator department.

The next morning, the keepers could hear some unusual noises coming from inside the female tiger.

tiger8

In practical terms, the indoor part of the tiger enclosure is organised so that the male and female tigers live separately. They each have a sort of “private den” at the back of the enclosure where they can retreat. It was from inside the den that you could hear little cries.

-“We zookeepers don’t go into the tigers and only have access to their enclosure if the animals are outside,” says Zaco Sonne and continues:

– “That’s why we didn’t get to see what was happening inside. A tiger cub weighs only 700 grams and is completely helpless when it is born. So a lot can happen in the first few days if it’s not strong enough or the mother isn’t able to take care of it. Of course, we also wanted to give the mother and cub some time to get used to each other,” says the zookeeper, who has worked with predators for the past 24 years.

tiger9

It took a few days before the predator team was able to lure the mother away from the den for a brief moment.

-“There were actually two cubs hiding in the straw. However, one turned out to have been born with a severe cleft palate and had died,” says Zaco Sonne.

A short health check could be performed on the healthy cub. Fortunately, it showed that the cub was healthy and thriving. It currently weighs around 2.5 kilos and can carefully move around a little.

tiger11

– “We wanted to be absolutely sure that the baby was doing well before we made any announcements about it. It’s been nine years since we last had a tiger cub in the ZOO, so this is a big deal for us. That’s why we’re really happy that we can now share it with the world,” says the experienced zookeeper.

It is hoped that in a few weeks, the cub will be visible to visitors through the window of the tiger enclosure. The zookeeper team also hopes that it will be possible for the whole tiger family to gather in the outdoor enclosure as spring approaches.

tiger12

-“We hope that guests will be patient to see the little cub outside in the enclosure, as it will probably take a few months. On the other hand, it will be a wonderful sight when it comes out for the first time,” concludes Zaco Sonne.

tiger14

Now we know that the visitors are able to ‘meet’ the mother and the baby in their enclosure. I’m sure the baby tiger is every visitor’s darling!

tiger6

tiger3

Mama, did you just pinch my treasure?

tiger5

No, my mama only helped me with the heavy thingie!

tiger10

tiger13

Gerti also was lucky to see the Eastern guoll in the zoo.

Tüpfelbeutelmarder1

This species is not an ‘everyday sight’ so it was a nice surprise!

Tüpfelbeutelmarder3

Tschüss and good bye! In the next article you can see Gerti’s photos of the other animals in the Copenhagen Zoo.

tiger4

7 Comments

  1. WILLKOMMEN, kleiner Tiger!!💝
    Vielen Dank für die schönen Fotogrüße und dem interessanten Bericht über den lange ersehnten Tigernachwuchs.
    Möge er wohlbehütet in der Obhut seiner Eltern und des Tierpflegerteams aufwachsen…
    Das kleine Nagetier ist sehr posierlich, wobei es besser
    ohne Raubkatzen durchs Leben kommt!

  2. Kleine Katzen sind immer ein herrlicher Anblick.
    Das Tigerchen macht da keine Ausnahme. Ich nehme
    an, dass es sich bei dem Guoll um ein Beuteltier,
    eine Art Beutelmarder handelt, sehr interessant!

  3. Dear Gerti and Mervi!
    Thank you for the story and the wonderful pictures. The baby tiger is very sweet.
    Hugs
    Ludmila

  4. Dear Gerti and dear Mervi!
    How nice that the tiger couple in Copenhagen, despite their advanced age, have had offspring after all. Too bad that the sibling didn’t survive. Joy and sorrow… The surviving cub looks super cute and full of life and I can imagine how happy the keepers were about this surprising birth and this pleasing development.

    The spotted marsupial or eastern quoll is actually native to Australia, but is as good as extinct there. A pretty little animal! For years, attempts have been made to reintroduce these animals into their natural habitats. Unfortunately, these attempts are hindered by foxes and free-roaming cats.
    Thank you for these beautiful and pleasing pictures and the information!

    Hugs
    Anke

  5. Und noch so ‘n süßer Fratz begegnet einem hier beim quer DurchEilen.
    Danke auch hierfür!

    Das letzte Foto ist so was von schön UND anregend, dass ich mich liebend gerne neben den kleinen schönen Charme-Bolzen legen würde . . .

  6. Liebe Gerti,

    es gibt also auch im ierreich noch späte Erstgebärende, interessant das zu erfahren.

    Kein Wunder also, dass der Copenhagener Zoo stolz auf den Tigernachwuchs ist! Die Fotos sind bezaubernd und du hattest Glück, eine der ersten glücklichen Besucher zu sein, diesen Wonneproppen zu sehen, oder wusstest du schon vorher vonder Geburt des Tigerbabies?

    Vielen Dank und beste Grüße
    Britta-Gudrun

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*