Guwahati, Feb.7: Two Royal Bengal cubs were born at the Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden in Guwahati.
Tigress, Kazi, gave birth to two cubs on Thursday. With these cubs, the Royal Bengal tiger population in the zoo has gone up to 9.
Kazi had given birth to two cubs in August 2020 and the cubs named Sultan and Suresh are healthy.
DFO, Assam State Zoo, Dr Ashwini Kumar informed that the mother and the cubs are in fine fettle with the zoo keepers taking all precautionary measures to protect them from the biting cold by placing heaters outside the cage and adequate dry straw inside the enclosure.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), Amit Sahai said the mother is being taken care of with nutritious diet “Around 6-7 kg of meat is being provided to the mother along with other veterinary prescribed food,” he added.
Sahai said focus is on providing a hygienic environment to the animals in the zoo. “Focus is on hygiene and cleanliness in and around the enclosure so that the mother and her cubs are not afflicted with any disease,” he added. Sahai exuded optimism that the zoo would be able to attract more visitors now with the arrival of the new inmates.
Meanwhile, the forest authorities have requested Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya to come up with names for the newly born cubs. Suklabaidya has given names to quite a good number of animals in the zoo and they have become popular.