Chester Zoo has welcomed a new male tiger as part of their mission to protect his species from extinction.
‘Handsome’ Dash has been chosen through the breeding programme for his genetic match with the zoo’s female tiger Kasarna.
Dash is a Sumatran tiger, one of the rarest big cats on the planet, with as few as 400 in the wild.
The three-year-old big cat has travelled from Fota Wildlife Park in Ireland to hopefully hit it off and mate with Kasarna, who was born at Chester Zoo in 2015.
Sumatran tiger Dash has joined Chester Zoo. Credit: Chester ZooSumatran tiger Dash has joined Chester Zoo. Credit: Chester Zoo
The critically-endangered tiger is described by Chester Zoo staff as ‘handsome and confident’.
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In the wild, the tigers are only found on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, where as little as 7% of its original habitat remains.
Sumatran tigers are excellent swimmers thanks to their webbed paws, and have stripes that are closer together than most other species of the big cat.
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Mike Jordan, director of Animals and Plants at Chester Zoo, said: “Dash is a handsome, confident young tiger and he’s quickly settled into his new surroundings. He’s been carefully matched with female tiger Kasarna, based on his age, character and his genetics, and we’re hopeful that they’ll soon strike up a close bond and, one day, go on to have cubs.
“Sumatran tigers are exceptionally rare and, sadly, their wild population continues to feel enormous pressure from mass-scale habitat loss, poaching and human-tiger conflict.
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“Their prospect of survival is hanging by a thread and the endangered species breeding programme, run by Europe’s leading conservation zoos, is a vitally important part of the international effort to ensure these magnificent animals are here for generations to come. Every single cub could be critical to its future.
“Without conservation efforts like these, the future for the Sumatran tiger may soon look similar to that of Javan, Caspian and Balinese tigers, which heartbreakingly are all now extinct. We have it in our power not to let that happen and we’re going to do everything we can to ensure it doesn’t.”
Featured image: Chester Zoo
Kids & Family
Manchester’s Cat Café is set to reopen four years after its closure
Danny Jones
Feline fans, rejoice, because Cat Café Manchester looks like it is reopening more than four whole years after its unfortunate closure.
The city centre’s much-loved cat café – the only one of its kind in Greater Manchester and among just a small handful in the North West – closed back in 2021 following unavoidable economic struggles brought about by the pandemic
Despite being hugely popular before having to shut its doors, the business was unable to reach an agreement with their landlord at the time and the owners were left with no other choice than to close permanently – or so we thought…
Seemingly back from the dead and published their first post since 11 January 2021, the official Instagram page shared just one line along with a picture of their soon-to-be new premises.
Briefly teasing fans ahead of an official announcement, the post reads: “Manchester we’ve missed you! There’s only one thing this place needs…”
The shot taken across the road from Manchester’s historic Barton Arcade shows the large shopfront unit on the main Deansgate strip where the original Classic Football Shirts store used to be.
As you can see, although the vintage footy kit reseller’s brand and decals still remain plastered on the windows, the two-storey location has been vacant since October 2023 when CFS moved their flagship Manchester branch to Dale Street in the Northern Quarter.
We’ve personally been wondering what might take the old venue’s place for a while now, with the rest of the Grade II-listed Victorian shopping arcade populated by food and drink spaces, a barbershop and fashion retailers like The R Store, but after all this time the last thing we expect was the Cat Café.
This will no doubt come as wonderful news to the countless fans who were gutted to see it disappear just a few short years ago.
At the time, a fundraiser was set up in an attempt to rescue it and the pet-forward coffee shop format also paved the way for similar ventures like this one over Salford.
Although we’re still yet to hear any more details regarding a possible reopening date, we can safely assume their four-year hiatus will be coming to an end sometime in 2025.
When they were still up and running, the café had 10 resident cats at their original site on the edge of NQ, now home to one of two Gooeys in Manchester.
It is worth noting that there were some concerns raised around hygiene and animal welfare, though we’re sure steps have been taken to address these issues in the interim.
LEGO-loving little Mancs can now compete against the world to become a ‘Mini Master Model Builder’
Emily Sergeant
Little Mancs who love LEGO can now enter a worldwide competition and battle it out to become a ‘Mini Master Model Builder’.
Is your child a LEGO super fan? Do they reckon they could build impressive LEGO creations in their sleep? Well, if they’re feeling brave enough and are ready to put their skills to the test, then you’ll want to take them down to LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester, as the hunt is one for a talented youngster to be crowned the UK’s newest ‘Mini Master Model Builder’.
Young LEGO fans will have the chance to let their imaginations run wild in a “bricktastic” competition, by building the most epic creation entirely out of LEGO bricks in an attempt to take home the coveted title.
Participants are invited to “demonstrate their imagination and creativity” by constructing something extraordinary that will leave the judges in awe – with the judges particularly interested in an array of building techniques and a strong creative flare, so entrants should “think outside the box” and let their personality and interests shine through.
Little Mancs who love LEGO can now compete to become a ‘Mini Master Model Builder’ / Credit: Supplied
Finalists will be chosen by the LEGOLAND Master Model Builders and Playmakers.
Each Discovery Centre in Manchester and Birmingham will then crown its own ‘Mini Master Model Builder’, and the winners will work with the local Master Model Builder to create their final models, which will then compete in the global final.
Winners will be given the unique opportunity of having their creation displayed at the iconic LEGO House in Denmark, plus a prize of £100 to spend in the LEGOLAND store, and a Local Annual Pass for them and their family too.
Up to the challenge then? All hopeful Mini Master Model Builders will need to get themselves down to LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester at Trafford Palazzo – which is next to the Trafford Centre – any weekend up until the start of February.
Entry into the competition is included in the price of one standard admission ticket to LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester.
All entries must be made by those under the age of 18, and only one entry per person can be made.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd August 2022 
