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Watch as Chester Zoo’s new twin tiger cubs meet their Dad for the first time in adorable video

The bond was instant.

Emily Sergeant - 22nd February 2023

Chester Zoo has shared a CCTV video footage of its new twin tiger cubs meeting their Dad for the first time, and it’s unbelievably adorable.

In case you missed it, the critically-endangered Sumatran tiger twins were born to first-time parents Kasarna and Dash at the UK’s leading charity zoo earlier this year on 7 January, with zookeepers explaining that the new arrivals will be named once they start to gain in confidence and venture outside – which they’re expecting will be some time in early April.

Since their arrival into the world, the tiger twins have been spending lots of quality time bonding with their mother and each other in their den, with their early life antics having been caught by the zoo’s CCTV cameras.

The zoo shared footage of the cubs’ first days last week, which understandably warmed the hearts of people on social media.

But their interactions with their mother, Kasarna, weren’t all that were caught on camera, as the zoo was also able to capture the exact moment the cubs were introduced to their Dad, Dash, for the first time ever – with the adorable footage shared to social media yesterday.

During the short 50-second video, Dash can be seen entering the den and greeting Kasarna and the cubs with lots of love and affection, while Kasarna lovingly shows affection back to him.

The bond between the new family seemed instant, and experts say he was “affectionate and protective” from the get-go.

Sumatran tigers are one world’s rarest tiger subspecies, and are listed as critically-endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is the most severe conservation category and highest priority – with conservationists believing there to be just 350 remaining in the wild.

The expansion of unsustainable palm oil and coffee plantations has seen more than 90% of the Sumatran tiger habitat wiped out, which has brought them into close conflict with the human population.

As a result, the carnivores are more exposed and often killed when they come into contact with villagers, farmers or livestock.

The species is also heavily poached for its skin, bones and canine teeth – which are sold illegally on the traditional Asian medicine markets.

This is why, according to carnivore experts, the birth of the twins at Chester Zoo earlier this year is “a significant step forward” for the conservation breeding programme that’s working to save the species from extinction.

“The birth of two more healthy Sumatran tiger cubs is another significant step forward in the long-term efforts to protect these incredible animals,” explained Dave Hall – Carnivore Team Manager at Chester Zoo.

“One day, the pair will hopefully go on to themselves make a vital contribution to the endangered species breeding programme, which is now playing a critical role in preventing these majestic animals from becoming extinct.”

Read more:

• Chester Zoo announces birth of critically-endangered rare tiger twins
• Rare baby tree kangaroo born at Chester Zoo for the first time in nearly 100 years
• Hollywood megastar Leonardo DiCaprio heaps praise on Chester Zoo for ‘bringing fish back from the dead’

Keen to help? Adopting a Sumatran tiger at Chester Zoo will help fund the zoo’s vital conservation work to protect declining tiger populations.

Find out more here.

Featured Image – Chester Zoo