UK safari park welcomes rare tiger to support breeding programme

A uncommon pistillate tiger has been introduced to a UK safari parkland arsenic portion of a conservation programme.

The five-year-old Amur tiger called Yuki, who weighs 129kg, was brought to Knowsley Safari successful Merseyside to articulation a breeding programme to assistance sphere the endangered species.

She has joined six-year-old antheral tiger Makari, who came to the safari parkland successful 2023.

Yuki, whose sanction translates to some “happiness” and “snow” successful Japanese, was portion of the biggest household radical of Amur tigers successful the UK astatine Longleat Safari Park successful Wiltshire.

She has been transferred to Knowsley Safari arsenic portion of a European Breeding Programme designed to sphere the species, which remains nether menace due to the fact that of poaching, declining prey populations and deforestation.

Only 450 Amur tigers are thought to stay successful the wild.

Yuki has been described arsenic “incredibly intelligent” and had a large narration with her erstwhile keepers.

Visitors tin spot Yuki successful her caller 10,000 quadrate metre Russian-inspired home, which she shares with Makari.

Pete Johnson, caput of carnivores astatine Knowsley Safari, said: “We are delighted to invited Yuki to Knowsley, she’s settling successful wonderfully well.

“Our precedence is protecting the aboriginal of uncommon species, specified arsenic the Amur tiger, and Yuki’s accomplishment marks the commencement of a captious facet of the European Breeding Programme.”

Knowsley Safari besides works with the Wildcats Conservation Alliance to enactment the Amur tiger species.