The birth of four Bengal tiger cubs at Cuba's national zoo, including an exceedingly rare white tiger, has revitalized a team of zookeepers grappling with severe fuel and medicine shortages, according to zookeeper Ángel Cordero.
Cordero, who has worked at the zoo for 44 years, described the cubs' arrival as a small miracle amid the island's energy crisis, which includes days-long power outages and shortages of fuel and medicine. 'It's only the second time white tigers have been born in Cuba,' he said, beaming with pride despite the heat and strain. 'And I was there for it.'
Unprecedented Challenges
Cordero has witnessed decades of hardship but says the situation following the US oil blockade presents an unprecedented challenge for the lion and tiger enclosures he helped build. Workers require 20 litres of diesel fuel daily to distribute food to the zoo's diverse animals, including buffalo, zebras, rhinoceroses, and hippopotamuses. However, they receive only a five-litre allotment daily, far short of what is needed.
Zoo director Juan Carlos Santos told Reuters that despite the energy crisis, the animal population has remained stable thanks to workers' efforts and new partnerships with small private businesses that contribute supplies. Workers now resort to horse-drawn buggies and electric tricycles to navigate the vast 375-hectare (926-acre) zoo grounds, unable to fully fuel their vehicles.
Fuel Dependency
'Everything relies on fuel,' Cordero said. 'The animals' movements, and the distribution of food (such as in the African savannah enclosure), which must be transported on wheels; there is simply no other way.'
Officials said recent economic reforms, which would transition Cuba's socialist economy to a free-market model, could help revitalize zoo activities by opening opportunities for foreign investment, scientific exchange, and fresh supplies.
