Medan Zoo in North Sumatra has earned plaudits for its good management of an endangered species after a healthy Sumatran tiger cub was born at the zoo.

Zoo operational director Sunardi Ali said the cub was born on Friday to a tiger pair named Manis and Anhar.

Sunardi said the management was limiting the number of visitors allowed to see the newborn, giving Manis more time to nurse her cub.

'€œWe'€™ve left the baby and its mother in the cage. The mother is clearly very protective of the baby,'€ Sunardi told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

As a result of the mother'€™s fierce protectiveness, the zoo management, he said, was as yet unable to determine the sex of the cub, which had an estimated weight of 2.3 kilograms and length of 30 centimeters.

Eighteen-year-old Manis has previously given birth to three other cubs fathered by her mate Anhar, Sunardi said.

'€œThis is the fourth baby. All the Sumatran tigers born here have grown up healthy,'€ he said.

He added that the management planned to name the baby tiger Benar, a contraction of Bang Eldin and Akhyar, the names of the newly elected Medan mayor and deputy mayor.

With the birth of the cub, Sunardi said there were now 10 Sumatran tigers at the zoo.

'€œHopefully that number will continue to grow, and we can increase our collection of Sumatran tigers.'€

In November last year, four male Bengal tigers were born at the zoo, taking the total to six.

The Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Sumatran tiger as a critically endangered species since 1996.

The organization reported that the species had been struggling with habitat loss amid the expansion of oil palm and acacia plantations, as well as illegal trading, primarily for the domestic market.

Separately, Indonesian Zoos Association chairman Rahmat Shah welcomed the news, describing it as proof of the zoo'€™s ability to treat animals properly.

'€œIt shows endangered animals are well treated by the zoo. We are very pleased,'€ Rahmat said, adding that Sumatran tigers could, if treated properly, give birth every year.

Rahmat'€™s comments appeared to refer to a string of animal deaths, including tigers, at Surabaya Zoo in East Java, reportedly as a result of mismanagement.

At the time, Rahmat said that the deaths had tarnished the image of the nation.

Six animals died at Surabaya Zoo in January and February 2014. A Komodo dragon and a Bawean deer both died on Feb. 1.

Earlier, a 4-year-old male gnu, or wildebeest, was found dead on Jan. 4. Based on necropsy results, the African animal died of stomach disease.

The following week, on Jan. 7, a lion named Michael was found dead hanging from a steel cable in his cage. A 6-month-old mountain goat was then killed in a fight with a larger mountain goat.

On Feb. 5, a Bengal white tiger named Chandrika died while undergoing treatment.

Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini subsequently filed a report with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) accusing the former management of Surabaya Zoo of graft and gross mismanagement resulting in the deaths of the animals.

Risma alleged there were groups within the management that had traded animals in return for financial gain, sparking internal conflicts.

Rahmat, who also manages Pematang Siantar Animal Park in North Sumatra, underlined the important role of government in preserving the Sumatran tiger.

'€œThe government, for example, could provide a special place in one of the country'€™s outer islands to breed the species,'€ he said.

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