TOPEKA– The four rare Sumatran tiger cubs born at the Topeka Zoo are doing great,  actively growing and progressing just like officials hoped,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. A week after a public voting contest concluded to name the first cub, the Topeka Zoo is releasing the next two cub’s names.

Cub #2 was named through a naming contest conducted at Blind Tiger Brewery and Restaurant. Blind Tiger has been a long-time tiger conservation partner with the Topeka Zoo. The winning name chosen by a Blind Tiger patron is Kansa Raja. Kansa refers to the indigenous people of Kansas. Raja means king in Buhari. The name Kansa Raja means King of Kansas. “So that he doesn’t get confused with the giraffe calf Konza, we will most likely refer to him as Raja. But wherever life takes him, his formal name will always connect him to Kansas,” said Wiley.

The one female tiger cub of the litter was named by zoo staff and volunteers. Her name is now Zayana. In Malay, Zayana means one who beautifies life. “While she was the last born and born a little smaller than her three brothers, she has charted appropriate weight gain and is doing really well,” said Wiley.

The one remaining male cub to be named will receive its name within the next week to ten days. It will be named by a long-time supporter of the Topeka Zoo and Topeka community.