At birth, the tiger weighs between 780 and 1 600 grams (averaging just over one kilogram) after a gestation period of about 3.5 months. They will stay hidden and protected in the comfy den that their mother prepared before their birth for the first eight weeks of their lives They are nursed by their mother who will gradually begin to introduce solids when the cubs are between six and eight weeks old. When the cub is two months old, it will be allowed to venture out of the security of the den. The next few months will be spent being trained to hunt and live independently of their mother’s care. This is done both by observation and by practice. By about 18 months of age, they are usually equipped to hunt for themselves. Still, both males and females will stay with their mothers until they are about 2.5 years old. At this time, they will leave their mother and establish their own territory. Females are likely to stay within fairly close proximity to their mother, despite not necessarily having a relationship with her in the future, while males are likely to go further away.