Four tiger cubs released in Bengal Safari

Four tiger cubs, aged around six months, were released in the open enclosure in the Bengal Safari near Siliguri on Monday.

The move was made by the West Bengal Zoo Authority after conducting various trials studying the behaviour of the animal.

The tiger cubs which were released yesterday age nearly about six months, which according to the officials, is the perfect age to set them free in the open (enclosure).

One tigress, Shila, which has been around in the park for nearly six years now, had given birth to four cubs on March 22 this year.

Presently, the number of female tigresses is five namely Shila, Rika, Kika, Tejal and Tara. Bivan was the only male in the park, now including Shiva, Sera, T1, T2 and T3, there are six males in the park. The total number of tigers and tigresses is eleven in the tiger enclosure.

Speaking to ANI, Director of Bengal Safari park, Dewa Sangmu Sherpa said the cubs were released in the presence of forest department minister Jyotipriya Mallick, and other forest officials.

"We have released four tiger cubs which were born on March 22, 2022. Earlier the authority conducted a few trials before the release to understand the behaviour of the animals and we found it to be very normal. So we decided to release them today," she said.

Expressing the belief that the cubs will be a centre of attraction for the visitors in the park, Sherpa said that people will have an enjoyable experience at the Safari.

"The park has already got the approval from the state Zoo Authority and now we are waiting for Central Zoo Authority regarding the Lion Safari and sloth bear Safari very soon," she said.

One of the visitors in the park, MD Kabatulla, hailing from Bihar's Kishanganj, said that it will attract more tourists to the park.

"We heard that tiger cubs were released today, so we came. I am sure the tourists will be more attracted to visit the park," he said.

Bengal safari was set up over 700 acres of forest land. The park offers tiger safari, mixed herbivore safari, elephant safari, leopard safari and Asiatic black bear safari. It has an aviary trail, lesser cats trail, gharials and crocodile ponds too.

Earlier in September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released wild cheetahs, which had become extinct from India, in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park.

Cheetahs brought from Namibia are being introduced in India under Project Cheetah, which is the world's first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project. Out of the eight cheetahs, five are female and three are male.

( With inputs from ANI )