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Leipzig Zoo mourns tiger cubs: euthanized due to lack of care
In the Leipzig Zoo, three tiger cubs were euthanized two days after birth because their mother Yushka did not care for them.
Leipzig Zoo mourns tiger cubs: euthanized due to lack of care
There is moving news at the Leipzig Zoo: On Wednesday, August 10, 2025, the Amur tiger Yushka gave birth to three healthy tiger cubs. Zoo director Prof. Jörg Junhold proudly reported that Yushka cared for her offspring in an exemplary manner in the first few hours, licking them carefully and observing their first attempts at sucking. But on Thursday the tide turned - Yushka reduced her care and quickly left the little tigers alone.
As the zoo explains, it is not uncommon in the animal kingdom for inexperienced mothers to stop breeding. After just two days in which the cubs were left to fend for themselves without maternal care, it was decided that the triple tiger cubs had to be euthanized. They were already weak and in danger of starving. This decision, made by the team around veterinarian Dr. Andreas Bernhard met, was intended to spare the small animals the suffering of starvation, which was a very unfortunate but sometimes necessary step in animal care.
The challenges of raising animals
The first few weeks of raising a newborn often bring unforeseen challenges. Prof. Junhold expressed disappointment with the outcome of the breeding, but remains optimistic that Yushka can learn from this experience. The zoo follows a clear scientific approach to species-appropriate wild animal husbandry and has ruled out hand-rearing the tiger cubs in order to promote natural behavior and learning from the mother animal. Accordingly, the International Tiger Breeding Book has been kept at Leipzig Zoo since the 1970s, documenting the populations of Amur tigers in human care in order to support the continued existence of these majestic big cats.
Amur tigers are among the largest cats in the world and are critically endangered. The Leipzig Zoo is actively committed to contributing to the conservation of this endangered species. There are numerous initiatives internationally to secure the tiger population. The first International Tiger Conservation Forum took place in November 2010 in Saint Petersburg, where strategic programs to protect tigers in their habitats were developed. Some countries, such as India, Nepal, China and Russia, are showing progress in restoring their tiger populations, while in other regions much remains to be done.
The challenges in conserving the tiger population are immense and require international cooperation and exchange of experiences. Leipzig Zoo is aware of this responsibility and is committed to sustainable breeding and the protection of the last Amur tigers. Even if the events surrounding Yushka and her young animals are tragic, the hope remains that positive lessons can be learned from these experiences in the future in order to better respond to the animals' needs.