Tragic Incident: Mother Tigress Claims Lives of Her Cubs at Bengal Zoo
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Kolkata, Dec 7 (NationPress) In a heartbreaking event, three tiger cubs at Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri, located in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, were tragically killed after being bitten by their mother tigress, Rika, on Saturday.
Rika had recently given birth to the three cubs just last week. Officials at the Safari Park stated that the incident occurred while the mother tigress was moving her cubs from one location to another. During this transition, Rika bit the three cubs, resulting in fatal injuries. Two of the cubs died immediately, while the third succumbed later.
"Preliminary investigations suggest that the incident was due to the mother tigress's actions. However, a comprehensive inquiry will be initiated to determine if there was any negligence on the part of the Safari Park staff," remarked a senior official from the state forest department.
This incident is not the first of its kind at Bengal Safari Park; last July, mother tigress Kika gave birth to two cubs, one of which died the very next day while the other survived. Tragically, just a month later, the surviving cub also passed away, reportedly due to severe malnutrition.
Safari Park authorities faced intense backlash from wildlife advocates who accused them of serious negligence.
Moreover, the West Bengal Zoo Authority was criticized for providing a report that appeared to downplay the situation. Previously, the zoo authorities had also blamed mother tigress Kika for the deaths of her two cubs.
According to reports, the cubs had been suffering from genetically inherited health issues since their birth on July 12 of last year, stemming from their mother Kika, the only albino tigress at Bengal Safari Park.
However, the report also indicated that Kika exhibited negligence in caring for her cubs, and this lack of care, in combination with the inherited health conditions, contributed to their untimely deaths.
