Endangered tiger cubs given icy treat to celebrate their second birthday at Whipsnade Zoo

Three endangered Amur tiger cubs at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo celebrated their second birthday with their favourite treat – an ice block made of blood.

The two-year-old stripy cubs, Dmitri, Makari and Czar, who were born on June 23, 2018, were given a giant block of frozen blood and water along with a hand-crafted birthday sign.

The birthday celebrations come just days after Sir David Attenborough called upon the public to help save the zoo.

“The lollies (made inside a giant barrel) are great enrichment for the tigers; where we devise activities or change the way we present their food to encourage their natural behaviour – this leaves a melted scent trail all over the enclosure for them to sniff out.”

The three tigers, now almost fully grown, made short work of the giant block of ice, tearing it down from the tree and rolling it around together to melt the treat.

Graeme added: “Dmitri, Makari and Czar have grown up so fast, and we’ll soon see some changes to the group here at Whipsnade as they reach adulthood; their mum Naya has already moved out ready to eventually move to another zoo, and dad Botzman will also be moving to another zoo – all as part of the internationally coordinated conservation breeding programme to breeding programme to preserve this precious species.”

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo reopened to the public on Monday, June 15, after three months of closure due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The loss of income put the charity zoo under huge financial pressure as they continued to provide the highest level of care for their animals.

Now open to limited numbers only, ZSL, the international conservation charity behind the Zoo, is calling on the public to help ensure they stay open by booking a ticket, joining as a member or donating to ZSL at www.zsl.org/justgiving .