Watch: Rare Sumatran Tiger Cubs Are Born At London Zoo

Heartwarming video footage has captured the moment that two of the world’s rarest tigers were born at London Zoo.

The twins, who are currently unsexed, were born to seven-year-old Sumatran tigress Melati on Monday, after an 108-day pregnancy.

Zookeepers kept a constant eye on the mother during her pregnancy, but a remote camera system nicknamed ‘cubcam’ allowed them to watch on as the mother finally gave birth.

The first cub arrived at 9.19am, followed by the second at 10.02am. After receiving a thorough clean from their mum, the youngsters soon nestled in to receive their first feed.

The cubs, who are yet to open their eyes, currently remain tucked away inside special cubbing dens while their mother occasionally ventures outside for food.

Teague Stubbington, ZSL London Zoo’s assistant curator of mammals, said: ‘We’re overjoyed with our new arrivals, and with how Melati is responding to her two cubs.

‘The cubcam allows us to observe the youngsters 24/7 while not disturbing mum or dad at all, which is ideal while they get to know their babies.

‘One of us is always on duty to keep an eye on the little ones throughout the night. Dad Jae Jae has also been spotted taking a peek at his new-borns!’

Wild Sumatran tiger numbers are estimated to be as dangerously low as 300 individuals, but the birth of the cubs represents a huge milestone in the global breeding programme of the species.

Andjar Rafiastanto, who works with ZSL in Indonesia to protect wild Sumatran tigers, said: ‘This is exciting news for the Sumatran tiger, a flagship species for the ZSL conservation programme in Indonesia.

‘ZSL has been in Sumatra for more than 14 years, working with our government counterparts to increase the protection of Sumatran tigers. The birth of these two tiger cubs brings us hope for their long-term survival.’