Celebrating Mother’s Day: Spotlight on Breeding Success

With Mother's Day approaching, we turn the spotlight to the many animal mothers across Woburn Safari Park. The Park has a key role in breeding endangered species through participation in the European Endangered Species Programme, known as the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria Ex-Situ Programme. As a result, many births have been celebrated at the Park over the years –and many animals have become mothers too. 

As an EAZA-accredited zoo, Woburn participates in the captive management of endangered breeding animals through the EAZA Ex-Situ Programme (EEP). These help to ensure a viable and sustainable captive population of key species is maintained long-term. Each programme plays a key role in the conservation of notable and endangered species. Let’s look back on some major breeding successes and amazing animal mother moments at Woburn Safari Park.

Minerva the Amur Tiger 

12-year-old Minerva, affectionately known as ‘Vera’ to many at Woburn Safari, arrived at the Park in 2013. Since then, she has become one of the most important female Amur tigers in the captive tiger population in Europe – as she welcomed two healthy cubs in 2015.

The cubs were later named Milashki and Mishka, and are pictured here enjoying some quality bonding time with their mother. Female tigers will give birth to litters of around two to six cubs and spend the first few years of the cubs’ lives teaching them important survival skills, by which time they are ready to move on naturally in the wild.

Milashki and Mishka have now moved on to other collections and had cubs of their own, continuing this important bloodline and marking the success of Woburn’s participation in captive breeding of endangered Amur tigers, of which there may be as few as 300 individuals left in the wild.

Damini the Asian Elephant

Now 30 years old, Damini gave birth to an Asian elephant calf called Tarli in 2014. Asian elephants are classified as endangered as a result of habitat loss, poaching and declining genetic viability due to small and increasingly isolated population size.

Tarli's birth marked a vital success for the Park's participation in endangered breeding programmes. Tarli is now 9 years old and lives alongside her mother and auntie Chandrika at Woburn Safari Park.

Dakota the African Lion

African lion Dakota gave birth to four cubs in the UK Coronavirus Lockdown in 2020. Despite the unusual circumstances, keepers continued to ensure the highest standards of animal care for the mother and her adorable cubs.

They took their first steps out of the lion house in June 2020, after a long period of secluded bonding with mum – which is a natural behaviour for African lions in the wild. Under the watchful eye of attentive mum Dakota, the cubs learned important skills and grew every day into confident, happy lions.

The cub’s birth was a huge success, as African lions are classified as Vulnerable in the wild due to habitat loss, climate change and the illegal wildlife trade. Dakota and her grown-up children now live alongside the rest of the pride in their 32-acre Road Safari reserve.

Beatrix the Asian Short Clawed Otter

The most recent birth at the Park was celebrated just before Christmas, as female Beatrix gave birth to a tiny Asian-short clawed otter pup. 

The birth is a vitally important success in Asian short-clawed otter breeding across BIAZA collections, as this species is classed as Vulnerable to extinction out in the wild due to habitat destruction and pollution. 

The important little pup, named Thiên thần, has already started swimming and eating solid food at just a few weeks old. Under the careful guidance of her parents, she is gaining more confidence each day. 

Spot Amazing Endangered Species 

Visitors can spot all these species and more, as they spend time in the Foot Safari and Road Safari during their visit.