Karnataka

White tigress’ cubs on display at Mysore zoo

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thumSri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens has good news for animal lovers on World Tiger Day, celebrated every year on July 29.

This year, to commemorate Tiger Day, four cubs born to white tigress Manya on June 4 at the zoo, will be open for public view. This is the second litter of Manya.

However, zoo authorities, who had hoped that one of the offsprings among the litter will be white, were disappointed.

“There are two male and two female cubs. All are healthy. However, none of them is white,” said Executive Director of the zoo B P Ravi.

Manya was successfully mated for the second time with Brahma, caught from Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. Manya gave birth to the four cubs in the early hours of June 4.

In 2011, eight-year-old Manya had delivered three cubs; two male and a female. Unfortunately, the female cub died due to injuries inflicted by the bite of the mother while lifting them. The two male cubs were named Rama and Lakshmana.

Though zoo authorities were concerned about the welfare of the new borns, Manya, as seen during the previous litter, took good care of the cubs, by attending to them and caressing them.

During the last weighing of the cubs, a week ago, each cub weighed around six kilograms. Mysore Zoo has succeeded for the third time in its attempt to introduce ‘wild genes into the zoo stock’. Zoo authorities were successful in pairing Brahma, captured from the wild in 2008, with Manya, who was born in the zoo. Addition of Brahma, has helped the zoo in introducing new bloodline among captive tigers, and thereby increase genetic diversity of the
animals.

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