World's most endangered tigers born in Greece as zoos build a safety net

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A two-month-old Sumatran tiger cub is weighed before its first vaccination and microchipping at Attica Zoological Park near Athens, Greece, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, part of an effort to build a backup population of the critically endangered species. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis The world's most endangered tigers have started a family in Greece, offering hope for a predator rapidly vanishing from the wild. Three 2-month-old Sumatran tiger cubs received identification microchips and their first vaccinations Tuesday at a zoo near Athens, as part of a global effort to build a backup population. The Sumatran tiger, classified as critically endangered, is found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which is slightly larger than Sweden. As few as 400 are believed to remain in the wild, mainly because of aggressive forest clearing. It joins the South China tiger and the Malayan tiger in the category of severe risk. "The Sumatran tiger is one of the most threatened tiger species in the world, and among felines in general," said Theodoros Babilis, head keeper of cats and monkeys at Attica Zoological Park. Zoos in Europe and elsewhere are maintaining a safety population, he said, "so that in the future there can be potential reintroductions of this species into the wild." Two male two-month-old Sumatran tiger cubs receive their first vaccination and are microchipped at Attica Zoological Park near Athens, Greece, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, as part of an effort to build a backup population of the critically endangered species. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis The Sumatran tiger is the smallest tiger species in the world, but males can still grow up to 2.55 meters (8.4 feet) long and weigh as much as 140 kilograms (309 pounds). Skilled swimmers and climbers, they use their dark stripes—unique to each animal, like a fingerprint—to hide in the dense forest as they hunt deer, wild pigs and smaller mammals. Even at 2 months old, Babilis said, the cubs have already developed sharp claws and teeth that make handling them a challenge. The cubs were born in early July to Toba, their mother, and Argos, their father, who has since died of cancer. The surviving cubs are expected to take names from characters in Homer's "The Odyssey," zoo staff said. Two males and one female, the cubs were restless during Tuesday's vaccination. Veterinary staff needed help to complete the procedure, ferrying the animals back and forth in carriers on electric buggies. Caring for the animals is demanding work, said Dr. Arsenoi Psaroudaki, a zoo and wildlife veterinarian. Veterinarian Arsinoi Psaroudaki, right, gives a two-month-old Sumatran male tiger cub a first vaccination and microchipping, as mamal curator Antonis Balas holds the animal at Attica Zoological Park near Athens, Greece, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, as part of an effort to build a backup population of the critically endangered species. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis A two-month-old female Sumatran tiger cub observes the Attica Zoological Park near Athens, Greece, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, after its first vaccination and microchipping, as part of an effort to build a backup population of the critically endangered species. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis A two-month-old female Sumatran tiger cub growls after its first vaccination and microchipping at Attica Zoological Park near Athens, Greece, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, as part of an effort to build a backup population of the critically endangered species. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis "The tigers don't like to be handled. They're very wild," she said, explaining that staff have to work quickly to limit stress. The cubs received microchips logged in a shared database, plus a vaccine similar to one commonly given to cats that protects against three diseases. For Psaroudaki, the work is also rewarding because it offers "some hope for safeguarding these really rare cats." She added, "It's very humbling to be able to work with the rarest tiger species in the world." Who's behind this story? Andrew Zinin Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile → © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.