Five white tiger cubs die in Delhi zoo, a sixth fights for life

While the four cubs that were not fed died earlier, the zoo authorities relocated the other two cubs to the hospital over the weekend.

White tiger cubs. Representative picture (Reuters)

FIVE of the six cubs born to a seven-year-old white tigress, Kalpana, and her seven-year-old mate, Vijay, at the National Zoological Park here last week have died while the sixth is reported to be critical.

“Kalpana didn’t feed four cubs and only attended to two cubs. But after a while, she stopped feeding all of them. Consequently, all six cubs weakened,” said Riaz Khan, zoo curator (education). “Kalpana didn’t accept the cubs. She didn’t let the cubs sit close to her or feed them. This can be life threatening, especially in winter,” he said.

While the four cubs that were not fed died earlier, the zoo authorities relocated the other two cubs to the hospital over the weekend. But one cub died during the move. The lone surviving cub is now being treated at the zoo hospital. Officials plan to rear it on a diet of diluted goat’s milk and are hopeful about its survival.

Experts said breeding white tigers is fraught with difficulties, since most of the species in captivity are the product of inbreeding. “White tigers aren’t like black panthers and rarely occur in the wild. This makes them prone to genetic diseases, making them weaker than their normal counterparts,” said N V K Ashraf, chief veterinarian, Wildlife Trust of India.

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