A week-old Sumatran tiger cub (Panthera tigris sumatrae) died in the Kinantan Wildlife and Cultural Park (TMSBK) in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra. The death of the male tiger baby was caused by malnutrition due to its mother not wanting to breastfeed.

Head of the West Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), Hartono, Wednesday (2/7/2025), confirmed the information about the death of a baby tiger from the tiger pair Bujang Mandeh (male) and Yani (female).

Hartono explained that the baby tiger was born at TMSBK on June 24, 2025. After birth, a team of TMSBK Bukittinggi doctors, together with keepers, monitored the mother, Yani, and her newborn cub.

In the initial condition, Yani looked stressed and did not want to breastfeed her child. Dry and hot weather conditions also worsen the baby tiger's condition.

It can be seen from CCTV camera monitoring that the protected animal is even staying away from its child. Even the baby tiger looked exhausted and lay limp.

Efforts have been made to cover the tiger's cage with paranet to prevent the mother from stressing, but the condition has not improved.

So separate evacuation and treatment steps must be carried out by a team of doctors to save the tiger cub. However, on Tuesday, 1 July, at 09.00 West Indonesian time, the tiger cub, which had not yet been given a name, died.

"After various rescue efforts carried out by a team of doctors and keepers, finally Yani's child was not saved and breathed his last on Tuesday morning (1/7/2025)," said Hartono.

According to Hartono, the necropsy results found no abnormalities in the baby tiger's organs.

"The team concluded that Yani's child's death was caused by dehydration and lack of nutritional intake from its mother," he said.