Two endangered tiger cubs were captured on video cuddling with their mother during their first outdoor adventure at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire.
The footage shows the three-month-old Amur tiger cubs, Rusty and Yuki, exploring their enclosure, playing, and practicing their pouncing skills.
Their mother, Yana, keeps a watchful eye on them, lovingly placing a protective paw around the pair.
Despite their mother’s protective nature, the cubs are eager to roam. They climb trees, scamper across their pen, and playfully wrestle with each other.
In one charming moment, one of the cubs balances on a tree trunk before leaping to the ground and tackling its sibling.
Another attempt to engage Yana results in the cub being gently swatted away by the powerful tiger.
Amur tigers, one of the world’s most endangered species, have made a home at Longleat as part of a European breeding program.
These tigers, a subspecies of the Siberian tiger, are native to remote regions of Russia, northern China, and parts of Korea. By the 1930s, their population had dwindled to as few as 20-30 due to excessive hunting.
Thanks to global conservation efforts, their numbers have slowly increased, with an estimated 540 Amur tigers remaining in the wild today.
In 2007, their status improved from critically endangered to endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.
Caleb Hall, the cubs’ keeper at Longleat, shared his thoughts on their milestone moment. “Heading outside for the first time is a big step in a cub’s development, marking a significant phase in their growth,” he said. “We’re never sure how they’ll react to their new surroundings, but Rusty and Yuki handled it beautifully, easily taking in the fresh sights, sounds, and smells.”
Hall also noted that the cubs’ playful behavior mimics what they would do in the wild. “Their playfighting and stalking are the early stages of their independence from their mother.”
Born weighing just 2 pounds each, Rusty and Yuki are the first tiger cubs born at Longleat in nearly 20 years.
As they mature, they are expected to reach lengths of 10 feet and weigh around 660 pounds (300kg).
For now, the cubs remain dependent on their mother, with full independence expected when they are three to four years old.
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