Tigress at Pilikula gives birth to four cubs

The Royal Bengal tigress, named Nethravati, at the Pilikula Biological Park here has once again given birth to four healthy cubs a week ago.
She had earlier given birth to two cubs in captivity.
The newborn cubs have opened their eyes and are being nurtured by the mother tigress, H Jayaprakash Bhandary, park director said in a release here today.
Her two cubs in the earlier delivery, Akshay and Manju, are now all grown up and healthy.
Akshay and Manju were adopted by Manoj Shetty, Saju Neliyar and Subbanna Shetty.
Her other cub, Krishna, from the year 2011 was adopted by the former minister of Karnataka, J Krishna Palemar and later given to Surat Zoo as part of animal exchange programme.

Since the first two months for the newborn cubs are critical in terms of contracting infections, only the caretakers of the animal are allowed to monitor the cubs.

Visitors will be allowed once the cubs are vaccinated and fit to be exhibited, Bhandary said.
He said it has come as a feather in the cap for the park indicating its healthy atmosphere for breeding of the animals under captivity.
The mother, Netravathi herself was born under captivity at the park about eight and a half years ago.
He said in the first two months, they would feed on mother's milk only and nothing else. With the arrival of the young ones, the park now has 11 tigers.

Bhandary said that animal lovers could adopt the four new cubs. If adopted, they would have the option of naming them.