Chennai: Four-month-old tiger cubs latest addition to Zoo

CHENNAI: Two tiger cubs, a male and a female, are the latest addition to Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur. Aged about four months, the cubs are healthy and are being nursed by their mother, Arthi, zoo authorities said. Visitors coming to the zoo during Pongal holidays can get a glimpse of these two cubs playing with their mother through a short video telecast at two locations in the premises.
A zoo official said the cubs will be named by the chief minister, after which they will be available for public viewing. One of them is a white tiger cub.
Deputy director of the zoo Sudha Ramen told TOI that the video, which will not have an audio, will show the cubs actively playing with their mother inside a private enclosure.
"From the day of birth, the cubs and Arthi were monitored through CCTV cameras. The mother has to nurse her cubs at least for four months and this is crucial. The cubs will not be disturbed or put on public display during this period," Ramen said. The first four months are crucial for the cubs as the Colostrum milk provided by the mother helps in developing anti-bodies and strengthens their immunity system. Colostrum is a form of milk produced by mammals in late stages of pregnancy and the first few days post birth. Once the cubs become independent, they can be released with their mother into an enclosure in the visitors area for public viewing, she added.
In a couple of other cases, tigress had rejected their cubs and refused to nurse them. In such cases, the zoo authorities had successfully hand-reared the rejected cubs, she said. "But Arthi, a 7-year-old Bengal tiger, is a proven mother and a caring one too. This is her third litter. No animal keeper was allowed near the enclosure where Arthi was housed for delivery."