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Zoo hopeful of reviving abandoned tiger cub

10-month-old male cub weighing less than 25 kgs is said to be under a lot of stress
Last Updated 16 January 2015, 18:05 IST

The tiger cub which was rescued and sent to Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysuru, is severely undernourished, and in a state of shock. Zoo authorities are however hopeful that the condition of the cub will improve in the days to come.

The cub was rescued at Metikuppe forest range of Nagarahole National Park, by Forest department officials on Thursday. While three cubs, two male and one female, were discovered, two had succumbed to starvation.

The surviving cub was shifted to the Zoo. Speaking to Deccan Herald, B P Ravi, Executive Director of the Zoo said that the 10-month-old male cub was under a lot of stress, which was a worrying factor.

“After the tiger cub was shifted to the Zoo, it has been taking food on a regular basis. The animal has been left alone for a while.

If it requires to be treated, then we will do that eventually,” he said. Since young cubs share close social bonds with their mother and other cubs, death of the cubs and absence of its mother, will also have a deep impact on the animal, he said.

Even though reasons for the tigress abandoning the cub are unknown, Ravi said that such instances were known to occur in the wild. “However, this is the first time that an abandoned tiger cub has been rescued by the Zoo,” he said.

Noting the cub was severely undernourished, he said that while 10-11 month tiger cubs, in ideal conditions, would weigh up to 70 kgs, the rescued cub weighed only 20-25 kgs, he said.

He speculated that the tigress might not be in a fit condition to take care of its young, maybe due to injury. The tigress might even be dead.

“This might have forced the young cubs to fend for themselves, resulting in undernourishment and eventually the death of two of the three cubs,” he said. The tiger cub might have starved for at least a week, he added.
DH News Service

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(Published 16 January 2015, 18:05 IST)

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