Three amur tigers at Highland Wildlife Park named

The trio made their first steps outside earlier this week

Author: Liam RossPublished 29th Jul 2021

Three rare amur tigers at the Highland Wildlife Park have now been named.

The female cubs are called Nishka, Layla and the boy cub has been named Aleksander.

Two of the wildlife conservation charity’s donors named the female cubs, Nishka meaning precious jewel and Layla meaning night, while the male cub was named Aleksander after a public vote in tribute to one of the park’s keepers who shares a birthday with the triplets.

Highland Wildlife Park say it's a tribute to the species’ native home of Russia just in time for International Tiger Day.

The 10-week-old cubs were given their first health check and vaccinations last week.

They also took their first steps outside on Monday.

Speaking afterwards, animal collection manager, Keith Gilchrist, said: "At ten weeks old, our cubs are getting braver and more playful every day, with their personalities already starting to develop.

"It is lovely to see just how excited our visitors are to meet them.

"Given how young they are, they won’t be allowed outside for the whole day and will likely only be out for short bursts, followed by long naps indoors."

Daska Mackintosh, Head of Operations and Visitor Services at Highland Wildlife Park said: Every visit to Highland Wildlife Park helps care for amazing animals in Scotland and around the world, so it is wonderful to see more and more people coming back and hoping to see our Amur tiger family.

“We are so grateful for the support we have had from the public throughout this incredibly challenging year for our charity.

"If restrictions continue to ease, we are on track to have one of our best summers yet.

"Our visitor numbers are still limited for everyone’s safety, so I would like to remind everyone to check online and book ahead to avoid disappointment."

Hear all the latest news from across the North of Scotland on MFR. Listen on FM, via our Rayo app, DAB, or smart speaker.