Photo: Curimedia (Flickr)

Even as the San Diego Zoo celebrates its centennial year (as we wrote about last month), there are some brand-new faces on display over at its famous Safari Park!

Last month, three Sumatran tiger cubs made their first public entrance at the Safari Park, and you can pay them a visit during your next stay with us here at the Sofia Hotel!

Meet the Trio: A Precious Family
It was back in January that one of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s tigresses, Joanne, gave birth to the three cubs, named Cathy, Debbie, and Nelson. As you’ll learn in this introductory video released by the zoo, the youngsters certainly have their own clear-cut personalities: Nelson’s calm and laidback, Debbie sticks close to mom, and Cathy’s got some spunk in her.

These little guys have an older brother in Suka, born to Joanne last September. The Safari Park also harbors three other Sumatran tigers in its “Tiger Trail” exhibits: a pair of adult males, Teddy and Langka, and another tigress, Majel.

Sumatran tigers are among the most imperiled subspecies of tiger: Only a few hundred remain in highly fragmented habitat on Sumatra. Deforestation and poaching remain dire threats (as they do for nearly all types and populations of tigers), which means every single newborn cub—including captive-born ones like Nelson, Cathy, and Debbie—is absolutely invaluable.

(The San Diego Zoo, meanwhile, hosts Connor, a representative of another critically endangered tiger subspecies: the Malayan.)

Celebrate the New Arrivals
Now’s a great year to visit both the San Diego Zoo and its wide-open counterpart, the Safari Park. For one thing, the centennial celebration at the Zoo—located in Balboa Park—is in full swing. And the Safari Park has, in addition to the young Sumatran tiger cubs, a newborn southern white rhino on display.

The Safari Park’s located in Escondido, an easy drive from downtown San Diego and the Sofia Hotel. Come stay with us and say hello to some precious pintsized tigers, too!