Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Three orphan cubs, which were raised by another tigress after the death of their mother have become adults at Sanjay Tiger Reserve in Sidhi district. Now, they are surviving on their own in the jungles and live separately from their step mother.
After the story went viral that orphaned cubs were adopted by another tigress, number of visitors to Sanjay Tiger Reserve doubled as many people wanted to see them.
Sanjay Tiger Reserve Deputy Director Hari Om said, "It’s a rare happening in feline family that three cubs are raised by another tigress. Now, all the cubs have separated from tigress and have made their own territories. The tigress, which raised the three orphan cubs was real sister of cub’s mother, which met with fatal accident.”
When three cubs were six to seven months old, their mother died while crossing railway track in 2022. At that time, the forest officers were worried how cubs would survive. To everyone’s surprise, they were adopted by another tigress, which was already mother to three cubs. The orphan cubs were two months older than her three cubs.
The tigress single-handedly raised six cubs, a rare phenomenon among stripped animals. It used to be an uncommon scene wherein in the tigress and her six cubs would feast on the prey together.
After attaining adulthood, they separated from their step mother and started hunting on their own. Forest officers expecting that they may have become parents by now.
The three cubs of tigress too have attained adulthood and are living a separate life.
