Probe underway after death of tiger cubs in Siliguri, tigress under watch

Authorities in Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri have launched a probe into the death of three tiger cubs after their mother accidentally bit them on their necks while shifting them together from one part of the enclosure to another, an official said.

The cubs, born to tigress 'Rika' at the open-air zoo in Siliguri last week, died after their trachea was punctured as the big cat was trying to take her children inside the night shelter enclosure on Thursday.

Senior West Bengal Zoo Authority member Sourav Choudhury told PTI "Rika accidentally killed the three cubs as she was taking them away from the night shelter to another part of the enclosure."  "However, we have launched a probe to ascertain the circumstances," he said.

The probe team consists of senior forest, zoo officials and one vet.

Senior forest officials are also talking to the zoo keepers, handlers and ascertaining the behaviour and mood of the tigress before the incident, afterwards and kept her under watch though she has not been barred from public viewing or taking her normal movement inside the enclosure, park director Vijay Kumar said.

Choudhury said Rika has apparently some flaws in taking her cubs by mouth unlike other tigresses in the park and the Safari park staff will closely monitor her behaviour from now on.

"She apparently bit too deep into the necks while moving them by catching the cubs. As a result, the trachea was punctured and a deep wound was inflicted," he added.

While two cubs died instantly on Thursday night, another succumbed to its wounds on Friday. The tigress is in mourning since the incident as evident in her behaviour but the staff are trying to engage her in usual playful mood.

Recently Lakshmi, a jumbo, had died in the zoo due to normal, geriatric ailments.

Over a year back in September 2023, two white tiger cubs died after being pushed hard by their mother in Bengal Safari, an open air zoo official said.

Stung by the incidents, despite terming the elephant death as normal, the Bengal Safari Park authorities held a three-day capacity-building training programme for zookeepers till December 8.

To upskill them in animal welfare and upkeep and how to keep a conducive habitat for the animals in the open air zoo.

In April 2024, a tigress Sheela gave birth to five cubs and all are doing fine with some of them exchanged to other zoos in the country.

Presently, there are nine tigers in Bengal Safari Park.