Malayan Tiger Cubs - San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo has two new Malayan tiger cubs. Christopher and Conner were born 3 months ago today, and are now about 20 lbs. Their paws are already huge - I think these might be some pretty big kitties when they grow up. They're not out on display yet, but I got an opportunity to see them with one of the keepers this morning. I'll say in advance that the technical quality of the pictures is not that great. They're in an area behind either thick dusty glass or very thick metal wire cage, and the sunlight was glaring off the light colored metal. Pacing back and forth between me and the cubs was an agitated mother tiger - and she's huge.


(Edit 10/23/11: I went back re-edited these 3 photos a bit. I think they are a little sharper and clearer now. Not by much, but better than before.)


Oftentimes I can focus right through a cage or fence (see, for example, the lion in the previous post), but in this case there was just too much glare from the sun on the metal (that's what all that white stuff is). Who cares - check out the look on this guy's face.

A few minutes later he was further back gnawing on a little branch, and I could get closer to the cage and sort of shoot through it.

With a bit of patience (and a bit of cropping) I finally got one that's fairly clear. I really like getting the eye contact.

Even if I hadn't been able to get any pictures, it was worth every minute just to be able to see this guy and his mother up close like that.


Click here to see a few more images from the San Diego Zoo on July 2, 2011.