World's Most Endangered Tigers Born in Greece as Zoos Build a Saf
The cubs joined a shared database and received a vaccine that protects against three diseases as zoos work to build a backup population.
- Three 2-month-old Sumatran tiger cubs received identification microchips and their first vaccinations on Tuesday at Attica Zoological Park near Athens, Greece, as part of a global effort to build a backup population.
- As few as 400 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild due to aggressive forest clearing, and the species is found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, classified as critically endangered by the United Nations.
- Born to mother Toba and the late Argos, the three cubs—two males and one female—have already developed sharp claws and teeth. Veterinarian Arsenoi Psaroudaki and mammal curator Antonis Balas noted handling the restless animals requires quick, careful work.
- Zoos in Europe and elsewhere maintain a safety population of this critically endangered species to enable potential future reintroductions. Theodoros Babilis, head keeper of cats and monkeys, emphasized these efforts safeguard the world's most threatened tiger species.
- Zoo staff said the surviving cubs are expected to take names from characters in Homer's "The Odyssey." For Psaroudaki, the work offers "some hope for safeguarding these really rare cats," reflecting the emotional significance of the breeding effort.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Birth of Sumatran tiger cubs at Greek zoo offers hope for endangered species
The world’s most endangered tigers have started a family in Greece, offering hope for a predator that is rapidly vanishing from the wild. Three two-month-old Sumatran tiger cubs received identification microchips and their first vaccinations, as part of a global effort to build a backup population.
World's most endangered tigers born in Greece as zoos build a saf
A two-month-old Sumatran tiger cub is weighed before its first vaccination and microchipping at Attica Zoological Park near Athens, Greece, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, part of an effort to build a backup population of the critically endangered species. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
At just 2 months old, three Sumatran tigers already have claws and sharp teeth. They have just been vaccinated and fitted with identification chips in Greece, helping to maintain the endangered tiger population.
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