Endangered tiger cubs born in conservation boost

A pair of endangered tiger cubs have been born at a safari park in a significant boost for global conservation, with keepers hailing their arrival as a "real privilege".

The rare Amur tigers were born to third-time parents Red and Yana at the Longleat estate in Wiltshire. The births were announced on International Tiger Day.

The species is one of the most endangered in the world, with only an estimated 450 Amur tigers remaining in the wild, according to theIUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red list.

Amy Waller, team manager of the safari at Longleat, said keepers were giving Yana extra food to ensure she has enough energy to provide for the "chunky little cubs".

Waller said: "It is a real privilege to welcome another litter of these endangered animals - and in the 60th year of the drive-through safari no less.

"Yana is a fantastic mum and has raised six cubs so far so we have no doubt that she knows exactly what she is doing and we're following her lead."

The twins are just two weeks old and are currently unnamed as keepers do not yet know their sex.

The cubs will feed from mum for about six months before she starts weaning them onto meat, Waller said.

"We aren't sure yet when the cubs will be able to be seen as it is still early days and they will need to have their inoculations before venturing outside," she said.

"We will keep everyone updated once we start introducing them further to Tiger Territory but keep your eyes peeled when driving through as Yana has access to the paddock and might move them at any time."

Longleat is now home to seven tigers, the largest family group in the UK.

Yana and Red's first litter, and the first in 20 years at Longleat, were born in 2019 with one boy, Rusty, and one girl, Yuki.

Their last litter of four girls were born in May 2024, and, with help from the public, were named Ginger Biscuit, Dora-Boo, Heidi and Seeka.

Three of the pair's offspring have since moved to other wildlife collections as part of the European Endangered Species Programme, which aims to maintain a healthy captive population of the species.

Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, face several threats in the wild including poaching and habitat loss due to forest fires and logging.

Those in the wild today are descendants from a small population, meaning their genetic similarities make them particularly vulnerable to adapting to new pressures, like diseases or climate change.

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