A Sumatran tigress, the female of the critically endangered species, hasa arrived at Manor Wildlife Park, home to Anna’s Welsh Zoo.

Tiger populations are in crisis and numbers are rapidly dwindling (there may be as few as 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild) so Anna and her team at St. Florence are making a vital move towards conserving this species.

Name of the new addition at the zoo is Terima! Part of the European Captive Breeding Programme, she was born in France a year and four months ago. She is genetically very important, and her vital statistics and the significant meaning of her name will shortly be available on the zoo’s Facebook page.

As soon as she’s settled in to her new apartment, Terima will gain access to her huge new enclosure.

And it won’t be too long before she is joined by a genetically important fella! Tigers reach sexual maturity at around three years of age and by then her new mate will be nicely settled too.

Indeed, Manor Wildlife Park has invested heavily in the major new tiger enclosure, so that visitors can see and appreciate this magnificent species at close quarters. The state-of-the art tiger house has been specifically developed to work with the European captive breeding programme, which works to conserve species, preserve habitat and return stock to the wild.

The park, in fact, holds an important collection of endangered animals and brought the first rhinos for 10,000 years to Wales! One of the rhinos, Zamba, is of particular importance, as the first AI (artificially inseminated) rhino in the UK (and only the second in the world). The rhino boys are enjoying the rough and tumble of their juvenile years together before going on to join selective breeding programmes, thus ensuring the survival of the species.

The zoo is open to friends and visitors from 10 am - 8 pm every day until the end of August.