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Endangered tiger cubs make their public debut at zoo in Germany
Two Amur tiger cubs had their first public outing Thursday at Cologne Zoo in Germany, one of several zoos that has sought to help keep up the numbers of the rare big cats.
The cubs – a female named Tochka and a male named Timur – were born in mid-April and now weigh about 13 kilos (28.7 pounds) each. The pair explored their enclosure together with their mother, 13-year-old Katinka.
“They are well fed, alert and awake,” the zoo said in a social media post, noting that the cubs still consume almost exclusively milk, but their interest in meat is “increasing.”
Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are found in the far east of Russia and northeastern China and are considered endangered.
“We are very happy and proud of the offspring of this highly threatened species,” zoo curator Alexander Sliwa said in a statement, which said that 240 Amur tigers in zoos are currently part of a European program to help conserve and breed the animals.
Katinka was brought from the zoo in Nuremberg last summer in exchange for Cologne tiger Akina after the existing pairs at both zoos had long failed to produce offspring. She quickly hit it off with 9-year-old Sergan, the cubs’ father, the zoo said.
According to the Amur Tiger Center, Siberian tigers are the “largest living cat on the planet.” Males weigh 400-700 pounds and are 9-12 feet long, including their tail, according to the Denver Zoo. Fewer than 500 Siberian tigers remain in the wild although there are several hundred in captivity.
Earlier this month, eight rare tiger cubs, including Siberian tigers, were born in a Russian zoo.
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Teacher, student killed in Wisconsin school shooting identified
A teacher and student killed in a shooting earlier this week at a school in Madison, Wisconsin, were identified Wednesday by authorities.
The Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a news release provided to CBS News that 42-year-old Erin West and 14-year-old Rubi Vergara were fatally shot Monday morning at Abundant Life Christian School.
Preliminary examinations determined the two died of “homicidal firearm related trauma.” Both were pronounced dead at the scene, the medical examiner said.
An online obituary on a local funeral site stated Vergara was a freshman who leaves behind her parents, one brother, and a large extended family. It described her as “an avid reader” who “loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band.”
West’s exact position with the school was unclear.
The medical examiner also confirmed that a preliminary autopsy found that the suspected shooter, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow — a student at the same school — was pronounced dead at a local hospital Monday of “firearm related trauma.” Madison Chief of Police Shon F. Barnes had previously told reporters that Rupnow was pronounced dead while being transported to a hospital.
Police had also previously stated that she was believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The shooting at the private Christian K-12 school was reported just before 11 a.m. Monday. In addition to the two people killed and the shooter, six others were wounded.
Police said the shooting occurred in a classroom where a study hall was taking place involving students from several grades.
A handgun was recovered after the shooting, Barnes said, but it was unclear where the gun came from or how many shots were fired. A law enforcement source said the weapon used in the shooting appears to have been a 9 mm pistol.
and
contributed to this report.
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Last-minute government funding bill in limbo after opposition from Trump, others
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