Chester Zoo has announced that critically-endangered tiger twins have been born at the zoo, and hidden CCTV cameras captured the incredible moment on video.
The tiny 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, and since then, the new family has spending lots of quality time bonding with each other in their den.
Zookeepers say 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.
Until then, their adorable early life antics have been caught by the zoo’s CCTV cameras.
At the moment, conservationists believe there are just 350 Sumatran tigers remaining in the wild.
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They 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.
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, and 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 is “a significant step forward” for the conservation breeding programme that’s working to save the species from extinction.
“We’ve been closely monitoring Kasarna on our CCTV cameras as she get to grips with motherhood and her first litter of cubs,” said Dave Hall – Carnivore Team Manager at Chester Zoo.
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“It’s a real privilege and incredibly special to watch.
“She’s a great mum and is being very attentive to her new infants, keeping them snuggled up in the den and feeding them every few hours. It won’t be too long until they gain enough confidence to start venturing outside for the very first time as a family, which is really exciting.”
Conservationists believe there are just 350 Sumatran tigers remaining in the wild / Credit: Chester Zoo
He continued: “The birth of two more healthy Sumatran tiger cubs is another significant step forward in the long-term efforts to protect these incredible animals.
“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.”
Major headliner pulls out of Manchester Village Pride
Daisy Jackson
One of the Manchester Village Pride headliners has had to pull out of their scheduled appearance, just one day before the celebrations begin.
Nadine Coyle was supposed to be headlining the LGBTQ+ event on Friday 27 August.
But in a statement shared by Manchester Village Pride today, they announced that the former Girls Aloud star is ‘under the weather’.
Nadine will be pulling out of her headline slot to ‘rest and recuperate’, but added that she hopes to see Manchester for Pride again soon.
Thankfully, Manchester Village Pride has already found a suitably fabulous replacement for the main stage on Friday – B*Witched.
The iconic Irish girl group will be encouraging ticket-holders to dig out their double denim and dance to hits like C’est La Vie and Rollercoaster.
In the statement shared by Manchester Village Pride, Nadine’s team said: “Nadine is so sorry to have to step out of Manchester Village Pride this year. It was her very first Pride many years ago and she loves getting to spend time with you all.
“Nadine’s voice has been under the weather and she only wants to give absolute best to you all which sadly won’t be possible this weekend as she needs time to rest and recuperate.
“We hate to do it so near the day. Nadine was really hoping she was going to be well enough and hopes she can see you in Manchester for Pride again soon.
“Thank you for being so kind and understanding and we hope you have a wonderful weekend.”
Manchester Village Pride added: “We know how excited many of you were for a massive hit of 2000s pop nostalgia, and we promised you a party. We’ve been working around the clock, and we are beyond thrilled to announce that pop royalty B*WITCHED are stepping in at the eleventh hour!”
Chester Zoo announces return of its £10 tickets for limited time only with extended opening hours
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced the return of its popular £10 tickets deal for a limited time only.
You may remember that earlier this summer, Chester Zoo invited people from across the North West to visit for just £10, and as the offer proved so popular, they’ve now brought it back again for a limited time.
For the past three years running now, Chester Zoo has officially been named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews, and now as the summer draws to a close, you’ll get to see exactly what makes it such a special place worth visiting for a cut price.
With the offer only applicable to afternoons this summer, Afternoon Tickets allow entry to Chester Zoo from 2pm onwards – with the last entry being one-hour before it closes.
Chester Zoo is offering £10 tickets to visitors this summer / Credit: Chester Zoo
Without this offer, standard admission tickets to Chester Zoo usually cost up to £38 for adults, £37 for students, and £28 for children, all including a 10% donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts, while babies and carers go free.
So it really is worth making the most of these limited-time £10 tickets while you still can – with the offer now running until 6 September.
The best bit about the offer returning? The zoo is currently operating its extended opening hours until 6pm too, so included for the bargain price of a £10 ticket, you’ll even get to see all the animals while the sun goes down.
Afternoon tickets are only available online and must be booked in advance to claim the £10 offer.
Tickets can only be purchased online before 4pm on the day of your visit, and standard admission tickets can be purchased from our ticket office at the main entrance.
Find out more and book your £10 tickets online here.
Emily Sergeant -
16th February 2023 
