Sumatran tigers are the smallest surviving tiger subspecies, according to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF). These gorgeous felines bear heavy black stripes on their orange coats, and since the late 1970s, their numbers have been steadily declining. Nowadays, WWF reports that there are as few as 400 Sumatran tigers remaining. And, as a result, extreme conservation efforts have been put into action.
Giles Clark, a tiger supervisor at Australia Zoo in Queensland, Australia, is one of the people dedicated to helping the Sumatran tiger population. A few years ago, Clark was featured in the BBC documentary Tigers About The House. The series chronicled the story of Spot and Stripe, two baby Sumatran tigers who were being housed and cared for by Clark.
It was hoped the two brothers would eventually join the international breeding program and help make more adorable Sumatran babies.
Spot, in particular, had a few obstacles in front of him. He was born with a congenital eye condition, and after having surgery to remove cataracts, he was left with just one eye.
Although it took him a bit longer to adjust, Clark told BBC, “It’s amazing to watch how he has adapted to life without vision. There’s no way he would have survived in the wild because they are totally dependent on their eyesight for hunting.”
The cubs were initially reared by Clark in his home.
As they grew bigger, however, the brothers would have to be moved to the zoo, and Clark wanted to first introduce them to the older tigers to see how they would react.
In the following video, viewed over 24 million times, we get to see Spot and Stripe meet an adult tiger for the first time. And the very best part? It’s the tiger’s first time seeing babies too!
When the brothers approach the female tiger, Spot is a little apprehensive. However, it doesn’t take the group long to start chatting and vocalizing with each other.
“Chuffing is reassuring,” Clark says of the sound. “They’re chuffing at her; they’re chuffing at each other. So it’s a reassuring type of noise, but it’s also a kind of greeting.”
Watching the tigers get to know each other is so unbelievably sweet. At first, the big cats don’t know what to think, but as they examine each other, you see the beginnings of a beautiful friendship unfold.
