Two critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs have been born in Fota Wildlife Park in Co Cork.
The cubs were born on 16 June to mother Jambi and father Batak, making it the first time that more than one cub has been born in a single litter at the park.
Three endangered Asian lion cubs, were also born on 1 July to mother Arya and father Yali. This is nine-year-old Arya’s second litter with Yali, who is 10 years old.
The three endangered Asian lion cubs were born earlier this month (Pic: Michael O’Sullivan/OSM photo)
Sumatran tigers and Asian lions face ongoing threats in the wild, including habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and poaching and Fota said the births are a landmark moment in its conservation breeding work.
The Sumatran tiger is classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, the highest threat category before extinction in the wild, with fewer than 350 of them estimated to remain in their native habitat.
The two Sumatran tiger cubs were born on 16 June (Pic: Michael O’Sullivan/OSM photo)
The Asian lion is classified as endangered by the IUCN and survives today in only one wild population, located in India’s Gir Forest.
With the species restricted to this single remaining habitat, conservation breeding programmes in wildlife parks and zoos play a critical role in supporting its long-term survival. The last recording of the wild population was 891 individuals in 2025.
Fota Wildlife Park said that these latest births demonstrate its 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.
‘I have to pinch myself’, says Fota ranger
Lead ranger, John Leahy said: “I have to pinch myself when I think about the fact that we’re announcing both Sumatran tiger and Asian lion cubs this summer.
“We’ve had members of the public asking about the noises, the squeaks and everything they’re hearing over the past few weeks from the Asian Sanctuary. So, we’re delighted to confirm these exciting births at the park.
“The cubs are currently getting the developmental space they need with their respective mothers, so they are not on public view as yet.
It’s Jambi the Sumatran tiger’s first time being a mother, and she’s been amazing. 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.
“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.”
Fota has also recently welcomed a critically endangered Nubian giraffe calf, two European bison calves, a François’ langur infant and six meerkat pups.