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Private Notes
Spot and Stripe are Sumatran tiger cubs born at the Australia Zoo in Queensland, and are genetically the most important youngsters of their species in the world. To help give them the best start, the first four months of their lives are spent in the home of their keeper and tiger expert, Giles Clark.
Growing up in a suburban Australian family home, where they are completely reliant on their foster dad Giles, brings trials, tribulations and real hope for the future of their species. As these cubs struggle through their first crucial weeks, Giles embarks upon the toughest parenting job of his life.
Sumatran tiger cubs Spot and Stripe are now eight weeks old and have started exploring Giles Clark's home - they have become a big handful. These cubs offer real hope to the future of wild Sumatran tigers and Giles believes that raising them at home for the first four months of their lives will give them the best possible chance of survival, and will raise the profile of tiger conservation. Giles visits the rainforest of Sumatra, home of the tigers in the wild, to see at first hand the horrors of poaching and persecution.
Back at home the cubs are going from strength to strength. Giles feeds them meat, which brings out some very adult tiger behaviours. He also encourages their development by allowing them outside for the first time.
Spot and Stripe are now outgrowing keeper Giles Clark's home and developing adult tiger behaviours. The time comes for them to leave the family home and reintegrate with the rest of the tigers at Australia Zoo. These tiger cubs offer real hope to the plight of wild Sumatran tigers, and Giles believes their unique experience in his family home will make them even more suitable for a life in captivity.
As they move back to the zoo, Spot and Stripe's development is far from over. Giles gives the cubs their first swimming lesson, and they meet the adult tigers they are going to share their lives with. But all is not well with Spot, who is rapidly developing an eye condition that leaves him fighting for his life.
