After a gap of nine years, tiger cubs have born at the Mysuru zoo, bringing joy to the management and the people taking care of the big cat.
Thara, a white tigress, gave birth to three cubs and is feeding the younger ones. However, the gender of the cubs was yet to be established and they are being closely monitored by vets with the help of CCTV installed in Thara’s enclosure.
Zoo Executive Director Ajit Kulkarni said the cubs were born to 8-year-old Thara and four-year-old Rocky, rescued from the wild. “We had not bred tigers since the zoo had surplus numbers. Now that there is demand from smaller zoos in the State for tigers, we resumed the breeding programme. The three cubs have a new bloodline with Rocky being a wild cat,” he said.
Mysuru zoo has 17 tigers, including the rescued wild tigers.
“Tigers are prolific breeders. We did not breed tigers at the zoo. The two were allowed to mate since we received specific requests from the small and mini zoos for tigers as they were in the process of expansion and development. In view of appeal, the captive breeding of tigers was taken up,” the director said.
