A critically endangered Sumatran tiger has arrived at Fota Wildlife Park in Co Cork as part of a conservation programme.
Dao, a two-year-old male, came from Zoo Krefeld in Germany as part of a European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for the tigers.
The Sumatran tiger is one of the rarest species of tiger in the world, with fewer than 350 thought to remain in the wild.
It was classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2008.
The tiger arrived at the park earlier this month and went through a gradual introduction to his new habitat, said Fota Wildlife Park's lead ranger, Julien Fonteneau.
"We're delighted to say that he is settling in really well," he said.
"To preserve genetic diversity within the EEP breeding programme, tigers may be transferred to other zoological parks to pair with new mates.
"Dao has been specifically selected to be paired with the resident female tiger, Jambi, who came from Heidelberg Zoo, Germany in February 2023.
"We hope they will both play a key part in global tiger conservation."
He said that Dao and Jambi will be "gradually acclimatised to each other".
The last tiger birth at Fota Wildlife Park was in 2019 and so "we are very excited about the prospect of future cubs," he added.
