Crikey! There Goes Mogo's Cub Club

Illawarra Mercury

Wednesday April 28, 2004

By KIM TREASURE

THERE wasn't a crocodile within cooee but Aussie icon Steve Irwin was still clearly in his element at Mogo Zoo yesterday.

The man known as the crocodile hunter was on the South Coast to snap up some rare tiger cubs, born less than four weeks ago.

The three purebred Sumatran cubs are priceless and were unveiled to a waiting media scrum shortly after 1pm.

But it was the croc hunter himself most of the crowd had come to see and he had young and old eating out of his hand.

``Crikey, have a look at these little beauties!" were his opening words, and the crowd roared with approval.

Introducing Irwin, Today Show veterinarian Steve Van Mil said the tiger cub handover was the biggest thing to happen at the South Coast zoo.

``These images are going worldwide," Mr Van Mil said.

``It is a brilliant tool to bring the plight of the Sumatran tiger to the world."

Irwin agreed. ``It is very important for Australia Zoo (Irwin's zoo in Queensland) and other zoological parks to display tigers for the education aspect," he said.

``These are probably the hottest tigers in this country at the moment, there are so few left."

Irwin paid tribute to the work being done at Mogo Zoo by owners Bill and Sally Padey.

``Mogo Zoo is brilliant with big cats - everyone in Australia, if not the world, knows that," he said.

``The big cats down at Mogo are the biggest and healthiest that I have seen anywhere in the world ... even in Africa.

``We are honoured to be taking these little Sumatran kittens."

Mrs Padey flew out with the cubs yesterday afternoon for this morning's appearance on The Today Show but will soon have to part company with them for good.

``It's going to be very hard for me because I have been raising them for the last couple of weeks," Mrs Padey said.

``But they are going to a great home and I know it's going to be something very wonderful."

The Padeys have donated the cubs to Australia Zoo as part of a cooperative move to ensure the future of the endangered Sumatran tiger in captivity.

© 2004 Illawarra Mercury

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