This is the adorable moment a 'gender reveal' was held for a premature tiger cub which made an amazing recovery after zookeepers were forced to help her to walk.<br /><br />The Sumatran tiger, named Lestari, was born early at West Midlands Safari Park on July 4 in a moment which was captured on CCTV.<br /><br />The birth, a first for the attraction, was hailed a "milestone moment" for the critically endangered species, as fewer than 400 individuals remain in the wild.<br /><br />But the park's veterinary team were forced to intervene after health checks revealed the cub was showing weakness in her front limbs and struggling to walk.<br /><br />Incredible footage shows how vets used a harness and did physiotherapy exercises to help the new arrival finally get on her feet. <br /><br />Lestari has now taken her first steps outside in her new enclosure and is thriving alongside mum, 11-year-old Dourga, and dad, nine-year-old Nakal.<br /><br />The park in Bewdley, Worcs., even held a gender reveal to announce the sex of the almost three-month-old cub.<br /><br />Keepers prepared a large papier mâché piñata, which dad, Nakal, enjoyed ripping apart, exposing the bright pink contents to reveal the cub was female.<br /><br />Lindsey Baines, the park’s veterinary surgeon, said: “At four weeks old, our tiger cub showed a weakness in her front limbs which was affecting her development. <br /><br />"After many hours of research and discussions with specialists, the veterinary team set up a physiotherapy programme, which was carried out over three weeks. <br /><br />"This involved exercises and creating walking aids, to help strengthen her legs. <br /><br />"We had to do these in short, quick sessions, so she wasn’t away from her mum, Dourga for long.<br /><br />“The cub responded extremely well and surprised us all at how quickly she progressed. <br /><br />"She is now running around completely normally, chasing her mum and exploring her outdoor, off-show habitat. <br /><br />"The veterinary team are thrilled with her progress and are looking forward to watching her grow.” <br /><br />Keepers were thrilled when they spotted the youngster’s arrival on CCTV at 2:36am on July 4 this year.<br /><br />They chose the name ‘Lestari’, meaning eternal and abiding in Indonesian - the language spoken in Sumatran tigers’ native homeland of Sumatra. <br /><br />Head keeper of carnivores at the park, Chris Hodgkins, said, “The keepers and I are thrilled to see how much the cub has improved following on from the diagnosis and seeing how far she has come. <br /><br />"She is definitely getting around much better and it’s great to see how much of a positive impact a small bit of veterinary and keeper care has improved her mobility. <br /><br />"She is certainly keeping Dourga busy now.”<br /><br />Tigers in the wild face an uncertain future, due to habitat loss, conflict with humans and poaching for the illegal trade in tiger body parts.<br /><br />It is estimated there are fewer than 4,000 tigers left in the wild, with only 400 Sumatran tigers, which makes them the most endangered of the subspecies.
