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We’re back to Port Lympne Wild Animal Park for week three of our exclusive tiger cub video diaries.

Cubs Sinda and Bira have grown considerably since we first met them – at 18 weeks, their coats are becoming a deeper shade of orange and they are picking up their parents speed and agility.

Sinda in particular is proving to be the bravest of the pair, and came remarkably close to the Kent Online crew – giving us the closest footage of the beautiful cubs yet.

~ Video: Watch the cubs get up close and personal with Kent Online by clicking the link at the top of the page

This week mum Ingrid and mate Tug were very affectionate with each other, and dad is also showing more interest in his young.

Deputy head of large carnivores Chris Hales told us: “In the wild, the father would completely ignore his cubs – as Tug is doing to Sinda and Bira at the moment.

“A wild male would have several mates and many cubs across a very large area, so he wouldn’t have time to play with them.

“Normally, we wouldn’t keep an adult male in with cubs but Tug is a big softie and we were delighted to be able to keep the family together. He is starting to talk to them a bit more now, and they are so interested in him that he won’t have much choice but to play with them soon.”

~ Missed an episode? Catch up on all the tiger video diaries in our Special Report >>>

Keeper Chris was also able to clear up another small puzzle for Kent Online.

“There isn’t really a definitive collective word for a group of tigers, like a ‘pride’ of lions or ‘pack’ of wolves,” he said.

“Tiger don’t really stay in big groups, so it’s not really appropriate. But I think we can safely call our tigers a ‘family’.”