Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire is celebrating the birth of two Amur tiger cubs, marking the first tiger birth at the park in almost two decades.
The male and female cubs were born to first-time parents Yana and Red, both four years old. Yana and Red were introduced to Longleat last year as part of a European breeding program to conserve this endangered species. They were brought in from separate collections in Sweden and Norway.
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In anticipation of the cubs’ arrival, the park’s keepers constructed a specialized den. The cubs were born weighing approximately one kilogram each.
“Yana and Red are first-time parents, and we’re extremely pleased with how well they adapt to their new roles,” said keeper Caleb Hall.
The cubs are born with closed eyes and will initially rely solely on their mother’s milk for the first six to eight weeks.
As a protective mother, Yana ensures the cubs are well-cared for without the need for additional intervention from the keepers.
“Tigers give birth to tiny and vulnerable cubs compared to their size and depend entirely on their mother for the first three months.
Even after this period, they remain close to their mother and only reach maturity at three to four years of age,” added Hall.
The Amur tiger, the largest of the big cat species, can weigh up to 300 kg and measure more than three meters in length.
Native to the far eastern regions of Russia, the Amur tiger population faced near extinction in the 1930s due to hunting and logging activities.
Although still under significant threat, their conservation status was updated from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2007. Current estimates suggest there are around 540 Amur tigers in the wild.
Historically, there were nine tiger subspecies, but three—the Bali, Caspian, and Javan tigers—became extinct in the 20th century.
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