ENDANGERED Amur tiger triplets were born at the Highland Wildlife Park last week.
The cubs were born at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Highland Wildlife Park on Tuesday 18 May.
Staff at the conservation charity say that the newborn cubs are doing well so far but they remain cautious.
The triplet cubs are doing well so far.
The triplets were born away from public view and are being nursed by their mum Dominika, but visitors can see their dad Botzman who will be slowly introduced to the cubs as they grow older.
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.
“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.”
She added: “There are just 500 Amur tigers remaining in the wild, so 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.”
CCTV footage showing the new born triplets.
The cubs’ mother Dominika gave birth to a litter in 2013, the cubs are part of the endangered species breeding programme for Amur tigers.
The charity has supported tiger conservation in Nepal by coming up with new ways to evaluate tiger diets in the RZSS WildGenes laboratory based at Edinburgh Zoo.
Once the cubs have grown and are old enough for visitors, a winner of the RZSS prize draw will be able to feed the tiger family.
The RSZZ prize draw aims to raise funds for Scotland’s Wildlife Discovery Centre which is a new visitor experience at the park, entry to the draw is £5 and closes on May 31.
