Watch the moment first ever critically endangered tiger cub is born at West Midland Safari Park

A first ever critically endangered tiger cub has been born at West Midland Safari Park, delighting park staff who say it is "fantastic news for conservation efforts".

The Sumatran tiger cub is the latest addition to a species that is declared critically under threat in the wild.

The cub arrived at 2.36am on the 4th of July, to 11-year mum Dourga and nine-year old dad Nakal.

They were only introduced to each other in August last year at the park in Bewdley in Worcestershire, with staff hoping the couple would play an important role in protecting their species from extinction.

The new cub is Dourga’s third baby, having previously birthed two others at her previous home at Fota Wildlife Park in Ireland, but this is the first time Nakal has become a father.

The cub is the first of its kind to be born in the park's 50 year history, and its gender has yet to be revealed. 

Keepers will find out the sex at at eight-week health check, and then give it a name beginning with the letter "L" - the same as all animals born at the park in 2023.

For the next couple of months, the cub will be under the close eye of mum Dourga in the den, where she will feed it and keep it snuggled up to her.

"New house, new baby!" 

Chris Hodgkins, Head Keeper of Carnivores said:

“We are delighted to announce that we have welcomed a new addition at Tiger Tropics.

"Back in March, keepers observed Nakal and Dourga mating and following a gestation period of three and a half months, Dourga successfully gave birth to a cub in the early hours of the morning on 4 July.

“The keepers and I are over the moon, as not only has it been nearly 16 years since we have had tigers born at the Park, but this is the very first Sumatran tiger cub to be born here in our 50-year history.

"Dourga arrived in August 2022 to join Nakal, who has been with us since 2016, and were introduced in our brand-new Tiger Tropics habitat, where they had a new house and outdoor habitat.

"They settled in really well and developed a strong bond quickly, so this really is a case of new house, new baby!”

He went on to say:

“Sumatran tigers are critically endangered – the most threatened an animal can be.

"We hope that this birth not only goes some way towards the conservation of the species, but also raises awareness of the plight of wild tigers and the threats they face.”

Can guests visit the new arrival at the park ?

Keepers say they're not yet sure when guests will be able to see the new arrival, as it is currently in an off-show area, under the protective eye of mother Dourga, but they will be posting regular updates on their social media pages.

Dad Nakal can be seen on foot around the park, along with other tigers Ben, Buster and Hujan.