Tiger cubs at the Nashville Zoo officially named. See what the names mean
It's official: The three Sumatran tiger cubs at the Nashville Zoo have names.
The zoo announced the names Friday. The name for the male cub is Bulan (pronounced BOO-lan), an Indonesian name that means moon. One of the female cubs is named Zara (pronounced ZAR-ah), a Malaysian name that means princess and radiant. The name for the other female cub is Kirana (pronounced key-RAHN-ah), an Indonesian name that means beautiful sunbeam.
A voting contest allowed the public to weigh in on the names. It kicked off Dec. 15 and closed Jan. 11.
The voting process for the names was part of a drive to collect donations that will go directly to the Tiger Conservation Campaign. The organization works to save native tiger habitats, curb poaching, eliminate the trade of tiger parts and reduce conflicts between humans and tigers. The Sumatran tiger subspecies is critically endangered, with only an estimated 400-600 left in the wild.
A $1 donation was equal to one vote cast. The zoo matched donations dollar for dollar, with a total of $8,000 raised.
The cubs were born to their mother, Anne, at the zoo Oct. 20. During a recent checkup, zoo staff said the cubs were healthy and growing. Felix, the father of the cubs, is currently on exhibit in Nashville, while Anne remains behind the scenes as she tends to her cubs.
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @_leyvadiana. Reach reporter Rachel Wegner at RAwegner@tennessean.com or find her on Twitter, Threads and Bluesky @RachelAnnWegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Zoo animals: Three Sumatran tiger cubs named by public
