NEW DELHI: The public got the first view of
Royal Bengal Tiger cubs
Dhairya and
Dhatri
at the
National Zoological Park in Delhi
on Thursday. The playful seven-month-old cubs were put up for public viewing for a few hours before being sent back to their kraal by the zoo authorities.
Around 10.30am, the cubs warily emerged into an area they hadn’t ventured into earlier.
They carefully inspected the new territory, wondering perhaps at its expanse since it is at least four times the size of their kraal. Once familiar with the new landscape and the presence of excited visitors, the duo became active, chasing each other and hitting out with their little paws.
Zoo officials said the cubs were yet to acclimatise to people. But they turned out to be a crowd puller and will be put on display on Saturday again after sufficient rest in the kraal. Gradually, their hours on view will be increased so that they are fully used to the crowds before New Year’s Day.
The cubs were born in May to tiger Karan and tigress Siddhi. Their birth ended an 18-year drought in the birth of golden tigers at
Delhi zoo
. Akansha Mahajan, zoo director, said, “The female cub is named ‘Dhatri’, meaning mother. The male cub is ‘Dhairya’, or patience. The two are seven months and 16 days old. Having lived with their mother in the night shelter and the kraal, as they grow bigger the cubs need more area and that is why they are being released into the bigger area or the visitor display area.”
After the release of the Royal Bengal Tiger cub, souvenirs were distributed and a zoo walk was conducted for school students. The purpose of this special occasion was to create an awareness about tiger conservation. The
National Zoological Park
is a participating member of the National Conservation Breeding Programme of Royal Bengal Tigers.
Delhi zoo currently has seven Royal Bengal Tigers, five adults and two cubs. The mother of Dhatri and Dhairya, the six-and-half-year-old Siddhi, was brought to the zoo from Gorewada in Maharashtra, while the father, 10-year-old Karan, arrived from Mysuru zoo in 2014. Siddhi gave birth to a litter of five cats, but three were stillborn. Tigress Siddhi and Aditi, both of wild origin, were acquired by Delhi zoo from Gorewada.
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