Highland Wildlife Park: Three endangered Amur tiger cubs born at Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Kingussie site

A litter of three endangered Amur tiger cubs has been born at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Highland Wildlife Park.

Staff at the wildlife conservation charity say the one-week-old cubs, born on Tuesday, May 18, are doing well so far but they remain cautious at this early stage.

There are just 500 Amur tigers left in the wild.

‘Amur tigers grow quite quickly’

Vickie Larkin, carnivore team leader at Highland Wildlife Park said: “We are really excited about our new arrivals but the first few weeks of a cub’s life are crucial, so we are keeping public viewing closed for now to give Dominika and the youngsters lots of peace and quiet.

“The cubs’ eyes will start to open any day now and in the coming weeks they will be weighed and sexed during their first health check and named shortly after.

“Amur tigers grow quite quickly, increasing almost four times in size within the first month of their life, but they will remain dependent on their mum for at least 15 months.

“We hope visitors will start to see them out and about towards the end of July.”

The tiny triplet’s mother previously gave birth to a litter in 2013.

Meanwhile, their father, Botzman, will be gradually introduced to the cubs as they grow older.

WildGenes Laboratory

The RZSS is part of the international endangered species breeding programme for Amur tigers, and has also supported tiger conservation in Nepal by developing methods to evaluate tiger diets in the WildGenes laboratory at Edinburgh Zoo.

Ms Larkin explained: “Our adorable cubs represent an important contribution to the future of this endangered species which is at risk of extinction due to extensive habitat loss and poaching.”

The RZSS has also launched a fundraiser for Scotland’s Wildlife Discovery Centre, a new visitor experience at the Highland park.

Once the cubs are old enough for visitors, one lucky winner and their loved ones could have the chance to feed the tiger family by entering the charity’s prize draw.

Entry is just £5 and closes on May 31, with the prize valid until March 2022.

You can enter the competition here.

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