Dreamworld’s adorable sister cubs have taken their first steps through the park for tiger conservation today, meeting awe-struck guests and preparing to meet some of their older Tiger Island family members.
At six weeks of age, Melati and Mya now weigh a healthy 5.6kg and 6.51kg, respectively and will begin the transition from their nursery den to their new cub kindy precinct in the coming weeks, as well as daily walks around the park.
As part of Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation’s (DWF) conservation efforts for tigers in the wild, Melati and Mya will play an important role to help save their wild cousins with the VIP Tiger Cub Experience launching tomorrow.
With less than 4,000 tigers left in the wild, the VIP Tiger Cub Experience program raises funds for tigers in the wild.
This experience of a lifetime will get you up close to the tiger cubs and will give you the chance to learn about the plight of wild tigers from our experienced tiger handlers who will be with you through the duration of the experience. Participants will also receive a gift bag including photos taken throughout to capture the memories.
Other ways to contribute to DWF include the Adopt-A-Tiger program (available online or in-park) or one-off donation made to any of the donation boxes located around Tiger Island. There is also a range of merchandise for sale in the Tiger Bazaar Shop, with a portion of the proceeds going towards DWF.
"So far, our various fundraising initiatives including Donate, Adopt and Experience, DWF has raised more than $2 million to help save tigers in the wilds of Sumatra and Russia," General Manager Life Sciences, Al Mucci said.
"The results of these contributions towards anti-poaching teams in Sumatra, speak for themselves with Wild Cats Conservation Alliance reporting a 78% reduction of active snares recorded in the region last year compared to the previous year. The teams have also seen an increased frequency of tiger presence in the area in that time."
"We have a long way to go, but these promising results show us how important it is to continue the fight for tiger conservation, and every cent counts."
Melati and Mya are growing quickly and starting to show their personalities more with Melati more outgoing and inquisitive than her sister.
The pair are drinking 500ml of formula across four feeds per day and gaining up to 1kg per week.
Celebrating 23 years this year, Tiger Island is currently home to 10 adult tigers and two cubs.
Dreamworld is a Welfare Accredited member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association, the peak body representing the zoo and aquarium community throughout Australasia.
For more details visit www.dwf.com.au
· Your support helps maintain the Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation’s direct funding of six anti-poaching patrols that remove snares from the tiger’s forest home and work with authorities to arrest poachers.
· With the support of the Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation, more than 9,500 children living in and around wild tiger habitats have participated in an Ecological Education Program.
· What a Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation donation buys:
o $20 donation: supplies fuel for a week of anti-poaching patrols in Sumatra
o $50 donation: covers the salary of one anti-poacher in Sumatra for one week
o $100 donation: covers fuel, food, equipment and salary for one anti-poacher for a week ---
