VIDEO: Rare tiger cub trio take their first steps at Doncaster wildlife park

The Amur trio, two boys and a girl born to parents Vlad and Tschuna, have all had names beginning with H chosen by the public. The winning names were Hector and Harley for the boys and Hope for the girl.

And visitors to the park in Doncaster were this week finally able to see the three cubs enjoying the main reserve for the first time at the Land of Tigers, in scenes that were captured on film and published online.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s Kim Wilkins said: ”It was wonderful to watch. They needed no encouragement as they were brave and eager to explore an exciting new world for them.

“They were a delight to watch as they loved exploring the reserve, a new environment designed to stimulate their natural instincts.”

Only 450 Amur Tigers survive in the wild in their native Russia, and the park’s Amur Tiger programme is part of a global mission to save the endangered tigers.

The birth of the cubs was filmed in March and drew a YouTube audience of more than five million. So far more than 20,000 viewers have watched their first steps in public.

“They are beautiful animals and we want as many people as possible to enjoy seeing them and learn about the species,” added Ms Wilkins

During International Tiger Day on Wednesday visitors were able to learn about the species and its quest for survival with talks and fun competitions.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation (Charity Number 1152642) is raising money for the conservation of Amur Tigers in the wild, where they are threatened by poaching and disappearing habitat.

The Foundation’s Cheryl Williams said: ”The cubs are a symbol of the fight to save the species. We are at the forefront of the campaign to help the Amur Tigers. Every penny raised will go towards helping the Amur Tiger population.”

Visit www.ywpfoundation.com for full details on how you can support their vital work.