THIS is the adorable moment a 'gender reveal' was held for a premature tiger cub which made an amazing recovery after zookeepers were forced to help her to walk.
The Sumatran tiger, named Lestari, was born early at West Midlands Safari Park on July 4 in a moment which was captured on CCTV.
The birth, a first for the attraction, was hailed a "milestone moment" for the critically endangered species, as fewer than 400 individuals remain in the wild.
But the park's veterinary team were forced to intervene after health checks revealed the cub was showing weakness in her front limbs and struggling to walk.
Incredible footage shows how vets used a harness and did physiotherapy exercises to help the new arrival finally get on her feet.
Lestari has now taken her first steps outside in her new enclosure and is thriving alongside mum, 11-year-old Dourga, and dad, nine-year-old Nakal.
The park in Bewdley, Worcs., even held a gender reveal to announce the sex of the almost three-month-old cub.
Keepers prepared a large papier mâché piñata, which dad, Nakal, enjoyed ripping apart, exposing the bright pink contents to reveal the cub was female.
Lindsey Baines, the park’s veterinary surgeon, said: “At four weeks old, our tiger cub showed a weakness in her front limbs which was affecting her development.
"After many hours of research and discussions with specialists, the veterinary team set up a physiotherapy programme, which was carried out over three weeks.
"This involved exercises and creating walking aids, to help strengthen her legs.
"We had to do these in short, quick sessions, so she wasn’t away from her mum, Dourga for long.
“The cub responded extremely well and surprised us all at how quickly she progressed.
"She is now running around completely normally, chasing her mum and exploring her outdoor, off-show habitat.
"The veterinary team are thrilled with her progress and are looking forward to watching her grow.”
Keepers were thrilled when they spotted the youngster’s arrival on CCTV at 2:36am on July 4 this year.
They chose the name ‘Lestari’, meaning eternal and abiding in Indonesian - the language spoken in Sumatran tigers’ native homeland of Sumatra.
Head keeper of carnivores at the park, Chris Hodgkins, said, “The keepers and I are thrilled to see how much the cub has improved following on from the diagnosis and seeing how far she has come.
"She is definitely getting around much better and it’s great to see how much of a positive impact a small bit of veterinary and keeper care has improved her mobility.
"She is certainly keeping Dourga busy now.”
Tigers in the wild face an uncertain future, due to habitat loss, conflict with humans and poaching for the illegal trade in tiger body parts.
It is estimated there are fewer than 4,000 tigers left in the wild, with only 400 Sumatran tigers, which makes them the most endangered of the subspecies.
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