There is something striking about watching two tiny cubs born thousands of miles from their native forest being given names from the language of their wild home.
Fort Worth Zoo chose Indonesian-inspired names as a nod to the cubs’ origins. The Washington Post has previously noted the cultural significance of Indonesian names for Sumatran tigers. In 2001, the National Zoo named another Sumatran tiger cub Berani, an Indonesian word meaning “brave”, after a public naming contest.
The new cub named Barani carries the same meaning: brave. And in her case, the name appears to fit almost too well.
She is the smaller of the sisters but is reportedly the one more likely to start a wrestling match. Her sister Malu has a completely different temperament, quieter, more cautious and happy to spend time alone.
Representational image10 legendary tigers of India and why they became famous