Four rare tiger cubs are doing well and their personalities are starting to shine through, say keepers at Wiltshire’s Longleat park.
The Amur tigers are four weeks old and are one of the most endangered animals in the world. Only around 450 remain in the wild.
They were born to mum Yana and dad Red, both aged nine, at the safari park in May.
The cubs account for more than a quarter of Amur tiger births across Europe in the last two years.
“They are doing really well, as is mum,” said keeper Caleb Hall.
“We still have to feed Yana a bit more because she’s extra hungry having to feed the four little cubs but it’s all going well.
Pic: PA
“The cubs are developing so quickly,” he added.
“They’ve got their eyes open now and they’re starting to formulate what they see and what they hear, so they’ll start looking in the direction of sound,” said Mr Hall.
“They’ve started to walk around a little bit more and tire Yana out a bit more, she has to keep an eye on them now and if they leave the box, she has to go and bring them back.”
It’s hoped the cubs will start to wander outside at three months old and they are expected to go in the main paddock at Longleat by late summer.
Pic: PA
It’s the second litter for mum Yana, who gave birth to two cubs – Rusty and Yuki – in 2019.
Amur – or Siberian – tigers and native to the fear east of Russia.
They nearly went extinct due to logging and hunting in the 1940s, when fewer than 50 were believed to be alive at one point.
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Their coat is a lighter orange than other tiger subspecies and becomes even more so in winter, according to Wildcats Conservation Alliance.
It’s also longer and thicker because of the cold climate they usually live in, and they have a thick mane around the neck and extra fur on their paws.