Keepers at Longleat Safari Park have unveiled the genders of the four rare Amur tiger cubs born in May, revealing an all-female lineup. This news has generated excitement as the cubs account for half of all Amur tiger births in Europe over the past two years.
Kayleigh Smith, a carnivore keeper at Longleat, expressed her delight: “We recently conducted a health check for the cubs and discovered that we have four very healthy little girls. This is particularly thrilling as female tigers can be kept together for longer periods, allowing mum Yana more time to bond with them.”
Longleat now boasts the largest collection of Amur tigers in the UK, with the addition of these cubs bringing the total to seven, including mum Yana, dad Red, and older sister Yuki. The cubs will eventually become part of the critical international breeding programme for this endangered species.
The Amur tiger is one of the most endangered animals globally, with only an estimated 450 individuals remaining in the wild. The birth of these cubs is significant, representing over 25 per cent of the total Amur tiger births in Europe in the past two years.
Kayleigh Smith added, “We have observed new behaviours from the cubs as they now climb in and out of the box where they were born. We’ve added extra hiding spots within their enclosure, but they still regard the box as their safe space and often return there. Yana, their mother, keeps a close watch on them, ensuring they don’t stray too far.”
The cubs have high energy needs and are feeding well from Yana. They are also being introduced to the sights and smells of meat, although they are still too young to eat it as their teeth are not yet fully developed. Yana has brought them bones to sniff and lick, marking the initial steps towards eating solid food.
The cubs will not be visible to visitors until late summer, as they need to complete their inoculations over the next few weeks. Native to the far east of Russia, the Amur tiger is the largest of the big cats, capable of weighing up to 300 kg and measuring more than three metres in length.
In the 1930s, the Amur tiger population nearly became extinct due to hunting and logging, with numbers dwindling to as low as 20-30 animals. Conservation efforts have since helped to increase their numbers, but they remain critically endangered.
