HONOLULU -- The Honolulu Zoo on Tuesday released the first pictures of its newborn tiger cubs.

The cubs were born on Sept. 15, to Sumatran tiger Chrissie. The three tigers are the first for the zoo in 27 years.

The litter is Chrissie and Berani's second. Their first litter was born at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo in Indiana in 2004.

Zookeepers must still inoculate and weigh the cubs.

"As you know, with the feral cats that we have around here, the possibility of disease and infection is very high. So, we're trying to keep these animals in a controlled environment, really allow them to get nourishment, nice and strong before they jump out in the habitat with mom," Department of Enterprise Services Director Sidney Quintal said.

After the zookeepers determine the cubs' sex, officials will give them names. They have not determined how the names will be chosen.

If all goes as planned, the public may be able to view the cubs in the tiger habitat in a few weeks, officials said.

There are just 500 Sumatran tigers in the wild and about 200 more in captivity, so the births of new tigers are important to preserving the endangered species.

Chrissie and Berani are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for Sumatran Tigers. It is a breeding program to improve the population. It is possible that the cubs may eventually be moved to other zoos as part of the program.