The Toledo Zoo in Ohio recently revealed the names of its adorable twin Siberian tiger cubs, born on July 20. After launching a contest with the help of TODAY, where over 10,000 votes were cast, the cubs were officially named Ember (meaning Spark) and Ash (meaning Dream). Savannah Guthrie shared the exciting news on TODAY, and the zookeepers noted that the chosen names perfectly match the personalities of the playful cubs.
Ember, described as a “fiery furball,” is always on the lookout for playtime and enjoys pestering mom or her sister. On the other hand, Ash, the “queen of catnaps,” is a bit shy but can be a force to reckon with when she wakes up. Both cubs are curious and love exploring new enrichment items in their surroundings.
The naming contest also featured two other options: Calida and Nadya. However, Ember and Ash emerged as the clear favorites, with 2,374 and 1,716 votes, respectively.
This exciting announcement follows the revelation of the cubs’ genders by Michael Frushour, the curator of mammals at the zoo, on TODAY, where it was disclosed that both cubs are female. The birth of twin Siberian tigers is a rare occurrence, adding to the uniqueness of this delightful zoo story.
Frushour emphasized the “incredibly rare” nature of the twin Siberian tiger cubs’ birth, highlighting the global context where there are only 5,000 tigers in the wild, with fewer than 500 belonging to this particular subspecies. Expressing excitement about the birth of two female cubs, he underscored the significance of the event for the zoo.
He assured that both the cubs and their mother, Talya, are in good health, and the public will soon have the opportunity to see them in an exhibit. According to Frushour, the cubs are thriving, and their off-exhibit status will change soon.
The zoo initially shared the joyful news on its Facebook page on September 21, accompanied by a heartwarming video of the newborns with their mother, Talya. The post invited the community to “hold onto their stripes” and shared that the cubs, born to Talya and Titan, had reached 15 and 16 pounds during their last examination.
The zoo also engaged the public in the naming process, presenting several options selected by the keeper staff. The names included Calida, Kima, Valentina, Kamilla, Ember, Ash, Maya, and Nadya. Frushour expressed appreciation for the beautiful names chosen by the dedicated keeper staff overseeing the well-being of these precious tiger cubs.