A Sumatran tiger cub receives its first vaccination during its first veterinary examination, as part of an effort to build a backup population of the critically endangered species, at Attica Zoological Park in Spata, near Athens, Greece, on September 8, 2026. [Stelios Misinas/Reuters]
The world’s most endangered tigers have started a family in Greece, offering hope for a predator that is 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 by the United Nations and conservation groups, 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.
“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.
