Visitors to the Bangladesh National Zoo will have to wait around five more months to see the four tiger cubs recently born to the tiger pair Beli and Togor, as authorities have decided not to display them publicly before they reach eight months of age.
The cubs, born on January 4, are now nearly three months old and are spending most of their time imitating their mother. Among them, three are white (albino or white with black stripes), while the fourth has a pale yellow coat with black stripes.
According to zoo authorities, the birth of the four cubs has brought the total number of tigers at the zoo to 16. Of them, nine are adults, three are between two and two-and-a-half years old, and the remaining four are the newborn cubs.
Zoo Director Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Talukdar told Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday that this is the first time a tigress at the zoo has given birth to four cubs at once. “The cubs are healthy and active,” he said.
However, due to past incidents where tiger cubs died from virus infections transmitted by flies before reaching eight months of age, authorities have taken strict precautions this time.
“We have decided not to open the enclosure to visitors before the cubs turn eight months old,” the director said.
The cubs are currently kept in a secured enclosure near the carnivore rearing section alongside their mother. The area is cordoned off with netting to prevent visitors from getting too close, and mosquito nets have been installed around the enclosure to keep insects away.
Zoo officials said no staff are directly interacting with the cubs this time. Instead, they are being monitored round-the-clock through CCTV, and food is being provided from a distance to minimize the risk of disease transmission.
The cubs are still dependent on their mother’s milk, as tiger cubs typically rely on it for six to eight months. However, they have started showing interest in meat by mimicking their mother’s feeding behaviour. Zoo officials say cubs generally begin eating meat at around four months of age.
Authorities also confirmed that Togor, the male tiger, has been kept separate from Beli since her pregnancy and remains isolated after the birth of the cubs.
The zoo noted that Beli and Togor have previously produced several litters. On April 5, 2022, they had three cubs named Jui, Joba, and Rangan, including a white cub marking the first white tiger birth at the zoo. Beli first gave birth on May 25, 2021, and was herself born on November 9, 2017.
In a separate development, a previous white tigress, Jui, died on December 26, 2025, after being bitten by a male tiger named Cosmos during mating. Zoo authorities explained that such incidents, although rare, can occur when the female does not cooperate during mating, leading to fatal injuries.
Officials further clarified that white colouration in Bengal tigers is not natural but a genetic variation, as the typical coat is yellow with black stripes. Despite this, white tigers remain a major attraction for visitors.
Beyond tigers, the zoo currently houses 3,506 animals. Among them are five lions, including one African white lion and four African lions, with a mix of males and females.
Birds make up the largest share in terms of species, with 61 types including ostriches, emus, and adjutant storks. There are also 19 species of large animals, such as Asian elephants, giraffes, African rhinos, and hippopotamuses, and nine species of carnivore,s including Royal Bengal tigers, white lions, and Asian black bears.
In terms of population, the highest numbers include night herons (524), cattle egrets (385), and spotted deer (293). The zoo has 38 carnivores across nine species, 387 herbivores across 19 specie,s including five Asian elephants, 12 hippopotamuses and 1,912 birds.
Meanwhile, a giraffe calf born on January 10 to the pair Raja and Labannya has already been opened to visitors. The calf, often seen following its mother around the enclosure, has increased the total number of giraffes at the zoo to seven.