Fans at the San Francisco
Zoo were finally able to see the zoo’s eight-week-old Sumatran Tiger cub for
the first time when she explored her outdoor exhibit on Friday, April 12.

You met this unnamed female cub on the pages of ZooBorns
after her first
vet check-up, but since her birth on February 10, the little cub has been
denned up with her mother Leanne.  Last
week, the San Francisco Zoo staff determined that the 14-pound cub was strong
enough to venture into her outdoor enclosure. 
On Wednesday morning,
the staff supervised a trial run for Leanne and her cub. A very attentive
mother, Leanne immediately carried her cub to a safe, protected area in the
exhibit, but the two were soon frolicking and playing. The cub eventually
allowed Leanne to lead her up the exhibit’s stairs several times for practice,
proving that Leanne is a seasoned mother who knows what’s best for her cub. 

Photo Credit:  Marianne Hale for the San Francisco Zoo

“Providing the cub the opportunity to explore the outside
world is a significant step in her development,” says Curator of Carnivores and
Primates Corinne MacDonald. “The cub will build up her strength and confidence
watching her mother, Leanne, and she’ll learn from her while navigating her new
environment. We are thrilled to finally be able to show our Tiger cub off
outside to all of her fans!” 

The Sumatran Tiger is critically endangered, with fewer
than 400 individuals remaining in the wilds of Sumatra.  As the smallest of the remaining Tiger
subspecies, the Sumatran Tiger is well suited for life in the deep jungle. The
greatest threat to survival is destruction of habitat, followed by poaching.

See more photos of Leanne and her cub below the fold.