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Space Farms welcomes Tiger cub

| 24 May 2013 | 03:14
    Photos by Gale Miko Lily falls asleep as soon as her bottle hit empty.
    Photos by Gale Miko Lily falls asleep as soon as her bottle hit empty.
    Lily in the nursery with her stuffed friend siblings.
    Lily in the nursery with her stuffed friend siblings.
    Nap time in the crib for one week old Lily after her lunch feeding.
    Nap time in the crib for one week old Lily after her lunch feeding.
    Lily gets a little loving from Lori Space Day after feeding her the lunch bottle.
    Lily gets a little loving from Lori Space Day after feeding her the lunch bottle.
    Got more milk? Lily just finished her five tablespoons of milk which is good for the next few hours.
    Got more milk? Lily just finished her five tablespoons of milk which is good for the next few hours.
    Lily in her protected, warm bed area ready for her next feeding.
    Lily in her protected, warm bed area ready for her next feeding.
    One week old Lily gets hew lunch bottle of milk from Lori Space Day.
    One week old Lily gets hew lunch bottle of milk from Lori Space Day.
    Lily falls asleep soon as her bottle hit empty.
    Lily falls asleep soon as her bottle hit empty.

SUSSEX — A furry bundle of joy has recently joined the Space Farms family.

Lori Space Day, zoologist at Space Farms and tenderly known as Zoo Mama, will be joined at the hip with new addition Tiger Lily, who was born a week ago.

There is a nursery at Day's home as well as at work at Space Farms Zoo and Museum in Sussex. It is complete with a crib, a germ free enclosure, stuffed animals to simulate siblings and a heated mattress pad for warmth.

Lily gets fed five tablespoons of milk every two hours for now. Her eyes still closed and motor skills at a minimum she needs constant care. Day explained this is the start of her early training to get accustomed to human touch, smell and coming when she is called. This makes it easier for veterinarian visits.

Although when small they are cute and friendly one should never mistake that they are always a wild animal and not to be considered tame. Lily is a Bengal Tiger, one of the most common types. There are 7,500 in captivity, which is said to be more than there are left in the wild.

The proud parents are 14 year old Tara (the mom) and 2 year old Blaze (the dad). It has been 10 years since the last set of cubs at the zoo.

Lily was born weighing 2 3/4 pounds. With paws the size of a quarter, by adulthood they will be the size of a dinner plate. The dew claws are extended and hook shaped to aid in catching prey. The cubs weight will double each week and at six months will be the size of a German shepherd. The umbilical chord fell off in five days and the eyes will be open soon along with teeth starting to poke through by three weeks old.

The cubs are much like human babies when getting in their teeth as far as being irritable and running a low fever. Day invented the cut and mark nipple special for feeding the cubs which caused an interest around the world and went viral. This special slit process allows one to regulate the flow of the milk from the bottle depending on the direction of the slit in the nipple. Day stated that in the wild 80 percent of the cubs are dead before their second birthday due to predators, diseases and people. Appreciating that fact, she is very excited about having raised 13 tigers over the years.

At adulthood the Bengal Tiger will weigh approximately 600 pounds. For now Lily weighs in at 4 pounds 4 ounces at one week old, close to double her birthweight. She will continue to receive hands on attention for about a year when she can be placed back in with her parents again.

Lily can be visited through the nursery window at Space Farms.

Space Farms and Museum is located at 218 Route 519, Sussex. For more information visit spacefarms.com or call 973-875-5800.