Cute alert: Watch three Sumatran tiger cubs get a check-up at the Nashville Zoo

Three wiggly Sumatran tiger cubs got their weekly check-up at the Nashville Zoo on Wednesday morning.

Zoo staff took their weight and temperatures, measured their girth and snapped photos to track their identifying facial markings. They saw signs of health like pink gums, normal weight gain and proper healing around their umbilical areas.

The cubs weighed in around eight pounds, give or take a few ounces. That's right on track, according to lead carnivore zookeeper Deanna Romanello. All three cubs — one male and two females — were bright, alert and active.

Their mother, Anne, was nearby but out of sight. The zoo staff has her trained to exit the den into a separate, closed-off room when the team needs to look over the cubs. The father of the cubs, Felix, is currently on exhibit for the public and was wandering in his enclosure near the den. He has not met the cubs.

The cubs let out several hisses Wednesday, sometimes without much sound. Romanello said they been more vocal in other check-ups, chirping and calling out for their mother. The team keeps the weekly check-ups short, usually lasting 10-15 minutes. At the end of the appointment, staff rubbed hay from the den on the cubs to remove their human scent and put their mother's scent back on them.

Fun fact: Each cub's mouth is still largely gummy as they await the arrival of their regular teeth, which should come in a few months. For now they have what are called "milk teeth," which will fall out as the permanent teeth come in. They're still mostly being fed via nursing with their mother, but the team recently introduced baby food.

The weekly check-ups will continue until the cubs are a few months old, depending on how quickly they grow and become too big to examine without other safety measures in place. The cubs have not yet been named, but the zoo will provide more information on that in the future.

The zoo plans to have the cubs grow up there with their mother and eventually be outside in their enclosure for the public to see.