A special delivery at Six Flags Great Adventure this spring – a critically endangered Siberian Tiger gave birth to five cubs, but one would have died if not for the experts and veterinarians at the safari park.   

Koro got a second chance at life.   

“Koro is our eight-week-old Siberian Tiger cub we had to hand raise,” says Safari Veterinarian Dr. Ken Keiffer. 

Veterinarians separated the baby tiger from her siblings and mom Nadia when they noticed she failed to gain weight.   

“She was still at her birthweight at three weeks of age so at that point we had to intervene and bring her back to the clinic for a little extra care,” says Keiffer. 

Saving the cub’s life remains crucial to the survival of the species. Only 500 Siberian Tigers exist in the wild. The five cubs represent 1% of all the remaining animals outside of captivity. 

“In our safari, we are looking for our guests to make conservation through connection,” says Staci Wheeler, curator of education and conservation. “That's very important to us. We have 1,200 animals in our safari and a lot of them are endangered or critically endangered like the Siberian Tigers behind you.”

Koro will continue to be hand raised by the experts at Six Flags for the next four months or so, then she will be returned and integrated back with her siblings and her mom. Soon, you can drive past and see all the tiger family in their natural habitat.  

Around 3,000 Siberian Tigers remain in captivity around the world. Typically, they live for around 20 years, and the cubs will grow to between 300 and 500 pounds once they reach adulthood.