A ‘Roarsome’ welcome for Knowsley Safari’s new tiger

Knowsley Safari has welcomed a very special new resident, five-year-old female Amur tiger, Yuki. Her arrival marks an important step forward in the safari’s commitment to conserving this endangered species.

Weighing 129kg, Yuki has made the journey from Longleat in Wiltshire to join Knowsley Safari’s six-year-old resident male, Makari. Their pairing is part of a crucial European Breeding Programme dedicated to protecting these majestic species, which remain under threat due to poaching, declining prey populations and deforestation. Only 450 Amur tigers are thought to remain in the wild. 

Yuki, whose name translates to both ‘happiness’ and ‘snow’ in Japanese, was part of the biggest family group of Amur tigers in the UK at Longleat. Incredibly intelligent, she had an excellent relationship with her keepers, which Knowsley Safari’s animal team are looking forward to nurturing. 

Visitors can now see Yuki exploring her new home on Knowsley Safari’s Tiger Trail, a sprawling 10,000-square-metre, Russian-inspired habitat designed to replicate her natural environment.

Pete Johnson, head of carnivores at Knowsley Safari, said: “We are delighted to welcome Yuki to Knowsley, she’s settling in wonderfully well. Our priority is protecting the future of rare species, such as the Amur tiger, and Yuki’s arrival marks the start of a vital aspect of the European Breeding Programme.”  

Visitors to Knowsley Safari can find out more about Amur tigers at its Tiger Takeover during February half-term, 15 – 23February, where children go free with a full paying adult. Visitors can expect a truly wild day out with tiger talks, touch tables and storytelling, as well as learning how we can help protect the large cats in their native habitat. Following their visit, guests can also complete a quiz to win an exciting family tiger experience. 

To further support the Amur tiger species, Knowsley Safari works in partnership with the Wildcats Conservation Alliance to deliver a fundraising campaign, Roar For Amur. Visitors to Knowsley Safari can support the Roar for Amur campaign on site by using the QR codes at the donation stations and everyone can support by donating online: www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk/conservation/roar-for-amur.