Last week, when three newborn tiger cubs died at the Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri, West Bengal, after their mother accidentally bit them on the neck while trying to take them to a shelter at night by grabbing them in her mouth, many wondered how and why. it happened.
However, experts believe that the stress and lack of experience of Rika, the tiger mother, may have led to this tragic incident.
“Such incidents are sad. In captivity, such events sometimes occur. There are many options in the field. In captivity, the space is limited and usually the mother is stressed,” Sourav Choudhury, member secretary, West Bengal Zoo Authority, told The Indian Express.
“Not all female tigers do this. It depends on the mentality of that particular animal. Rika is inexperienced and may be under pressure,” added Choudhury. Rika, who according to zoo officials is now in mourning, had injured her cubs in a similar manner last year. But since the lambs were a month old, they could be saved.
“Last year, Rika gave birth to three lambs. He hurt himself while moving. The lambs had deep wounds. Since they were one month old, they could not be saved. “This time, the lambs were only a few days old and their skins were soft,” said Choudhury.
On November 5, a few days after Rika gave birth to three cubs, she tried to take them to the shelter at night by holding them in her mouth.
It should be a “funny bite” (a feigned or loose bite used between playing or carrying cubs). But according to Park officials, Rika’s teeth punctured the cub’s throat, leading to its death.
“Such incidents are mostly seen in captivity,” said MKV Ashraf, wildlife officer (Wildlife Trust of India). “When we raise the lambs, it is expected to be a joke. But sometimes, too much pressure is mistakenly applied.”
Agreeing with Choudhury, Ashraf said: “There must have been some disturbance or stress, which caused Rika to behave in this way (always moving the cubs from one place to another).”
“There is no foolproof scientific way to measure or quantify this. However, in my experience I have seen such animal behavior. When giving birth in captivity, there is pressure and mental stress that the mother feels. As she was exhausted, she felt that someone would harm her cubs so she decided to move them to a shelter,” said Assistant Director (Animal Resources Department, Jhargram) Chanchal Datta.
According to forest department officials, Rika’s current behavior shows that she is mourning and worried as she has not been able to find her cubs.
“In my opinion, one way to avoid this is to fill the gap. Expectant female tigers should be kept in small dens, instead of large enclosures. This restricts their movement. They should be confined in small, dark areas,” said Chief Veterinary Officer (Wildlife Trust of India) Ashraf.
“We released Rika in a large enclosure, and special care is being taken to give her supplements and special food,” E Vijaykumar, Director, Bengal Safari Park, told The Indian Express over the phone.
According to Datta, expectant female tigers should not interact with humans.
“No contact with people at all, even the zoo keepers should be banned from getting close to the mother-to-be. Food should be placed in a separate area when the animal is not around. Only CCTV surveillance should be allowed,” added Datta.
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