The Miracle Tiger

Jaya, a 150-pound Sumatran tiger, is popular with handlers and a favorite of Tiger Island manager Pat. With no cubs bred in the reserve since she and her sisters were born, Jaya's pregnancy marks the renewal of the breeding program at Tiger Island. However, problems arise when her labor begins, leading the handlers and vet team to perform the first ever tiger caesarean in Australia.

Jaya's surviving cub, Roary, has been seriously affected by the anesthetic used during her birth and has a rocky start to life. Tiger Island manager Pat takes him home and starts the tricky process of getting the sickly cub onto the bottle. However, he may not be the only cub to arrive on Tiger Island.

Bengal tiger Nika gives birth to a beautiful baby boy, Kai, and since singletons are incredibly rare in the tiger world, they wait for his siblings to follow suit. However, they never come and so all the focus is on little Kai and his health.

When Tiger Island's manager, Pat, decided to take Kai from his mom, and to bring him into the world of hand-reared tigers, he made a choice for this cub. With that decision comes a commitment to making him a safe tiger for the handlers to be around. Each unique tiger temperament is recognized, and as Kai gets older, it's more apparent that he is a rambunctious and confident chap.

As Kai gets bigger, so too does his fame. Not only are there hordes of people who come to see him, but Australia's most loved animal program does a feature on him. This is all part of his role as an animal ambassador, educating people and raising money for worldwide tiger conservation.

As Kai reaches the five-month mark, he is growing up fast! Not only is he starting to lose his puppy fat, but his strength and confidence is growing at an astounding rate. Tiger Island is excited as Kai's mom and dad, Nika and Raja, have decided it's time to give their eldest son some little sisters.