The British zoo that just became home to a rare Sumatran tiger

The (big) cat is out of the bag… and into a Norfolk zoo. 

This March Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens, a zoo just outside Great Yarmouth, has welcomed a rare Sumatran tiger.

The wildlife conservation attraction is already home to Raja, a male Sumatran which arrived from Frankfurt Zoo last year. The new beast is Lotte, a female tiger who came from Berlin Zoo as part of the European Endangered Species Programme – a population management and conservation project which seeks to breed endangered animals. 

Out of the five species of tigers, Sumatrans are the smallest. Fossils have been found in China that indicate that the striped cats could have existed over 2 million years ago. Nowadays, due to poaching and habitat loss, there are fewer than 400 of them left in the wild. 

Visitors will be able to watch as Lotte settles into Norfolk, alongside other critically endangered species such as snow leopards, red pandas, and Visayan warty pigs.

Commenting on the tiger’s arrival, Zoological Director at Thrigby Hall Scott Bird said: ‘Everyone here at Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens is incredibly excited to welcome Lotte.  

‘We look forward to seeing her settle in and, in time, hopefully play a vital role in the conservation of this incredible species.’

General admission for adults at Thigby Hall Wildlife Gardens is £18.50, while 4-16 year olds get entry for £14.50. The conservation park is under a 20-minute drive from Great Yarmouth.

Where in the UK can you see Sumatran tigers?

If you’re in need of a big cat fix and Norfolk is a bit of a trek, there are plenty of other spots in the UK where you can see Sumatran tigers. For one, you can find a streak of the striped felines in London Zoo where Gaysha, Asim and their cub Crispin mingle in Tiger Territory. You can also see them in the following zoos and animal sanctuaries:

• The Big Cat Sanctuary, Kent
• Chester Zoo, Cheshire 
• Dudley Zoo, West Midlands
• Edinburgh Zoo
• Flamingo Land, North Yorkshire
• Howletts Wild Animal Park, Kent
• Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, Suffolk
• Lincoln Zoo
• Manor Wildlife Park, Tenby
• Paignton Zoo, Devon
• Shepreth Zoo, Cambridgeshire
• Twycross Zoo, Leicestershire 
• Welsh Mountain Zoo, Colwyn Bay
• West Midlands Safari Park, Worcestershire

Did you see that Great Yarmouth is getting a dazzling makeover in 2026?

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