The Amur tiger (or Siberian tiger) is the largest subspecies of tiger on Planet Earth. Sadly, Amur tigers are also endangered, with fewer than 500 of these animals left in the wild. Two Amur tiger cubs born at the Minnesota Zoo is good news for a species that is dwindling. The rare cubs are adorable, and their birth is raising awareness about conservation issues affecting tigers in the wild.
According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Amur tigers live in the taiga and boreal forests of the Russian Far East, China, and the Korean peninsula. They face many threats in their natural habitat, including poaching, habitat loss, and dwindling prey populations (they eat wild deer, goats, etc.). As humans encroach on their territory, Amur tigers sometimes attack domesticated livestock, causing human-animal conflicts that sometimes end badly for the tigers and/or the humans.
Amur Tiger Cubs at the Minnesota Zoo
Minnesota Zoo officials say the cubs—a boy and a girl—are about a month old. Since their birth on May 23, they’ve been bonding with their mom, Sundari. The family is behind the scenes right now, but the zoo hopes the public will be able to see the cubs on exhibit later this summer or early fall.
You can catch a glimpse of the adorable Amur tiger cubs on Instagram, though: