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FOTA WILDLIFE PARK has announced the births of two Sumatran tiger cubs and three Asian lion cubs, calling their arrival a “landmark moment” for its conservation breeding programme.
The Sumatran tiger cubs were born on 16 June to mother Jambi and father Batak while the lion cubs arrived on 1 July to mother Arya and father Yali.
Sumatran tigers are critically endangered, meaning they are close to being extinct in the wild. The smallest subspecies of tiger, they come from the Indonesian island of Sumatra and have a deeper orange coat that their larger counterparts.
There are only around 350 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.
Asian lions are classified as endangered and the only wild population is located in India’s Gir Forest, where there were 891 individuals last recorded in 2025.
“These latest births demonstrate Fota Wildlife Park’s ongoing commitment to global conservation programmes and its significant role in supporting efforts to raise awareness, educate and protect some of the world’s most endangered species,” the park said in a statement.
Lead ranger John Leahy said the park’s staff were “absolutely thrilled” to announce the birth of both sets of cubs.
“I have to pinch myself when I think about the fact that we’re announcing both Sumatran tiger and Asian lion cubs this summer,” he said.
He said the cubs are currently getting the space they need to develop with their mothers, so they are not on public view yet.
“It’s Jambi the Sumatran tiger’s first time being a mother, and she’s been amazing,” Leahy said.
“The two tiger cubs are feeding really well. At this stage of their growth, we really take a hands-off approach and allow the young cubs to nurse naturally.
“Jambi has kept them mostly in their house and only brings them out in the evenings, after the Park has closed, when the temperatures have cooled.
He said that Arya, the lioness, “has been an incredibly protective and attentive mother”.
“She gave birth in the den, which faces the visitor viewing area, and we have to restrict the area for now to allow her the privacy and space she needs while nursing and caring for her cubs.
“As a result, the cubs are not visible publicly, but we hope to reopen access within the next few weeks as they continue to settle.”
Meanwhile, Dublin Zoo has announced the arrival of two new species: the six-banded armadillo and giant anteater.
Milo, a ten-year-old female giant anteater and Junio, an eight-year-old male, both arrived from Allwetter Zoo in Germany.
The largest of the anteater species, giant anteaters can weigh more than 40kg and grow to more than eight feet in length. They are classified as vulnerable and the most threatened mammal in Central America.
The zoo received one one-year-old six-banded armadillo named Ozzy, from Hagenbeck Zoo in Germany.
Native to South America, the species gets its name from their six bands of armour.
All three new animals are already on display in Dublin Zoo’s Rainforest House.
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