A wild Amur tigress has been filmed with five cubs in tow in the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park. The first-of-its-kind footage has stunned wild cat experts, as these tigers typically only give birth to between one and four cubs.<\/p>\n
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The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are describing the footage as \u201cextraordinary,\u201d and with good reason.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s the first time that a mother with five cubs has ever been filmed in China,\u201d said Stuart Chapman, Leader of WWF\u2019s global tiger program, Tigers Alive, in a statement emailed to IFLScience. \u201cChina\u2019s commitment to tiger conservation is delivering incredible results and creating a bright future for these magnificent cats.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can see the incredible footage in the video below (heads up, Cub Number Five keeps you waiting).<\/p>\n
The Amur tigress is thought to be around nine years old, and her cubs between six to eight months old. They were recorded in November 2025 in the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, which is the world\u2019s largest tiger reserve and a critical habitat for endangered Amur tigers<\/a>.<\/p>\n To keep so many mouths fed in a region where prey availability is still recovering in the region is an impressive feat, and to have caught it on camera has checked off several footage firsts.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first footage of \u2018six wild tigers in one frame\u2019 recorded in China reflects that China\u2019s conservation actions have been effective,\u201d added Zhou Fei, Chief Program Officer of WWF-China. \u201cYears of conservation efforts show that saving tigers is possible, in the current global acceleration of nature loss, \u2018save the roar\u2019 brings hope and strength for the restoration and conservation of other endangered species and their habitats.\u201d<\/p>\n The family\u2019s debut comes at a critical time for Amur tigers<\/a> as recent estimates suggest their numbers are climbing following an all-time low of just 20 individuals in 2010. Around half<\/a> of wild Amur cubs don\u2019t survive their first two years, even in areas where prey is abundant.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n