A Merseyside safari park has welcomed the arrival of two rare tiger cubs as part of conservation efforts to save the endangered species.
Yuki, a five-year-old Amur tiger, gave birth to two cubs at Knowsley Safari on July 29, after arriving at the park in February as part of a global breeding programme.
They are the first Amur tiger cubs to be born at Knowsley Safari since 1996, and the first to be born in the UK since May 2024, when four female cubs were born at Longleat Safari in Wiltshire to mother Yana and father Red.
Amur tigers, the largest cat species in the world, are classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, with only around 500 remaining in the wild.
The safari park said Yuki was doing well and feeding and bonding with her cubs in their den.
Two rare Amur tiger cubs have been born at Knowsley Safari
The father, seven-year-old Makari, is in the neighbouring paddock.
The cubs' sex is unknown until their eight-week check, and they are expected to venture out in the paddock later this autumn.
Visitors will be able to watch them on the safari's "cub cam" on the tiger trail at the park.
Native to the far east of Russia, Amur tigers can weigh up to 300kg and face threats to their survival in the wild from poaching and loss of habitat due to logging and deforestation.
The species was on the brink of extinction in the 1940s, due to hunting and logging, with their population believed to have fallen as low as just 20 to 30 animals at one stage.
Pete Johnson, the animal team manager for carnivores at Knowsley Safari, said: "We're over the moon to welcome the new Amur tiger cubs and to see Yuki bonding with them so well.
"We're monitoring remotely and it's lovely to see the cubs finding their feet and getting noticeably bigger each day.
"Importantly, the cubs' arrival also brings hope for the future of these incredible big cats."
Knowsley Safari also works with the WildCats Conservation Alliance to support the Amur tiger species.
