Tigers Give Birth as Only 450 Remain Worldwide

At Longleat Safari Park in the United Kingdom, another litter of endangered Amur tiger cubs has been born. Notably, the two twin cubs were born on July 29, International Tiger Day, making the event even more symbolic.

The cubs are the third litter of the park’s resident pair, Red and Yana . The twins’ sexes and names have not yet been determined. As in previous years, the keepers may involve the public in choosing their names.

A video released by the park shows the newborn tiger cubs lying close together, making sounds, while their mother, Yana, carefully licks and grooms them. The footage has attracted considerable interest on social media.

Safari section manager Amy Waller called the event a major achievement.

“We are delighted to welcome another litter of these rare and endangered animals. The fact that this has happened just before our safari park’s 60th anniversary makes it even more significant. Yana is also an excellent mother who has successfully raised six cubs so far. We have complete confidence in her experience,” she said.

According to experts, tiger cubs are fed their mother’s milk for about six months, after which they are gradually introduced to meat. The cubs are already reported to be growing healthy and strong. For this reason, the mother tiger is being given more food than usual.

The Amur tiger is considered the largest wild cat in the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified it as an endangered species. According to experts, only around 450 remain in the wild.

Longleat Safari Park is actively participating in the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP). Three tigers from the previous litter have been moved to other parks, while Yuki from the first litter has already had cubs of her own.

The park is now home to seven Amur tigers . They include Red, Yana, Heidi, Seeka and Dora-Boo, as well as the two newborn twins. This has made Longleat in the United Kingdomthe safari park with the largest Amur tiger familyin the country.

For reference, Yana and Red’sprevious litter was born in May 2024 and consisted of four female cubs— Ginger Biscuit, Dora-Boo and Heidi and Seeka . Their names were chosen through a public vote. The pair’s first litter was born in 2019 at Longleat Safari Park, after a 20-year break, and consisted of two tiger cubs named Rusty and Yuki nomli ikki yo‘lbars bolasi dunyoga kelgan.