Two rare and critically endangered Amur tiger cubs, recently born at Woburn Safari Park, have been busy exploring their new home where they are now on view to the public for the first time.
The playful five-month-old cubs are now old enough to live in the main tiger reserve (part of the Kingdom of the Carnivores section in the Road Safari), where they are being given the grand tour by their mother, four year old Minerva.
These are the first tiger cubs to be born at Woburn Safari Park in 23 years, so their birth is an important landmark for keepers.
[gallery link="file" ids="16928,16933,16932,16931,16930,16929"]The latest estimates show that numbers of Amur tigers (also referred to as Siberian tigers) are as low as 520 in the wild.
Major decreases in tiger populations over recent years are due to poaching for body parts and loss of habitat.
The international captive breeding programme for this threatened species is therefore of vital importance to help protect the future of this beautiful species.
For more information, or to plan your visit to Woburn Safari Park visit www.woburnsafari.co.uk
