Home Wildlife Nandankanan Welcomes Cute Cubs

Nandankanan Welcomes Cute Cubs

Bhubaneswar: Everyone at Nandankanan Zoological Park is in joy as white tigress Rupa has given birth to four healthy cute cubs.

The birth of these cubs, which took place in the early hours of November 2, adds to the park’s success in its tiger breeding program and brings hope for the conservation efforts.

This was informed by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife, Susanta Nanda on X today.

PCCF Shri Nanda said it is the third litter from the tigress, sired by melanistic Krishna. Rupa is taking care of them independently, and is under continuous CCTV monitoring, he said.

The cubs appear to be a mix of white and melanistic breeds of the tiger, the PCCF said.

The four cubs were born between 5:43 AM and 9:31 AM, and Rupa is reportedly caring for them independently. To ensure their health and safety, the mother and cubs are under constant CCTV surveillance. As they remain with their mother, the zoo team has yet to separate them for sex determination.

According to Zoo officials, Rupa is about six years old and she was born at Nandankanan Zoo on September 22, 2018, to Roshan and Bijaya.  

Rupa has previously birthed two litters. Her first litter, sired by Rajesh, arrived in March 2022, producing three cubs. Tragically, two of them did not survive, but the surviving cub, Himanshi, was hand-reared and recently transferred to Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park under an animal exchange programme.

In January 2023, Rupa gave birth to her second litter, producing two healthy cubs, Amrita and Shiva, also sired by Rajesh. Both cubs remain at Nandankanan, contributing to the zoo’s conservation efforts, the officials said.