One of Longleat’s best-known young tigers has begun a new chapter after moving to Woburn Safari Park as part of an international conservation programme designed to help safeguard one of the world’s rarest big cats.
Ginger Biscuit, an Amur tiger born at the Wiltshire safari park in May 2024, has relocated to Bedfordshire under the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), which carefully manages breeding across wildlife collections to maintain healthy and genetically diverse populations.
With an estimated 450 Amur tigers remaining in the wild, the species is classified as endangered, making coordinated conservation efforts increasingly important.
Ben Davies, Team Leader for Carnivores at Woburn Safari Park, said the arrival marked an important step in the programme.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming Ginger Biscuit to Woburn. She’s an important addition to the European breeding programme, and her arrival reflects the role modern safari parks play in protecting species that are under real pressure in the wild.
“Our team will be focused on helping her settle in and ensuring she continues to thrive.”
Ginger Biscuit was one of four female cubs born to mother Yana and father Red at Longleat. Alongside sisters Dora-Boo, Heidi and Seeka, she quickly became a favourite with visitors as the cubs grew from tiny newborns into confident young tigers.
Keepers fondly remember the sisters spending hours playing together, particularly in the habitat’s pond, as they explored the outside world under their mother’s watchful eye.
In the wild, young Amur tigers typically remain with their mother for up to three years before leaving to establish territories of their own. Conservationists say Ginger Biscuit’s move mirrors that natural progression while contributing to the long-term survival of the species.
Amy Waller, Carnivore Team Manager at Longleat, said it was bittersweet to see the young tiger leave.
“Ginger Biscuit has been a big part of life here over the past two years, and we’ve watched her grow into a confident young tiger alongside her sisters.
“While it’s always a difficult moment to see them move on, this is exactly what the programme is designed for, and we’re proud to see her heading to Woburn as part of that wider conservation effort.”
After arriving at Woburn, Ginger Biscuit will be introduced gradually to her new surroundings.
Animal teams at both parks have worked together to prepare for the move, ensuring her enclosure and overnight accommodation are ready to help her settle as comfortably as possible.
Over the coming days she will also become acquainted, through protected introductions, with Woburn’s resident Amur tigers Dmitri and Vera, with any future breeding decisions made as part of the wider European conservation programme.
While visitors at Longleat will no doubt miss one of its most recognisable young residents, Ginger Biscuit’s move represents an important milestone—not just in her own life, but in the ongoing effort to protect one of the world’s most endangered big cat species.
