Two new Royal Bengal Tiger cubs, born at the Bangladesh National Zoo in Dhaka two and a half months ago, have been named Durjoy and Abantika.
According to media reports, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim registered the names in the database during an event on Monday.
Durjoy means "invincible," while Abantika refers to the queen or Princess of Ujjain, or the first flower to blossom in a season.
The two cubs -- a male and a female -- were born at the zoo in a quiet environment on May 26, as the zoo has been closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zoo Director Dr Md Abdul Latif said the reveal of the cubs had been delayed to ensure their safety.
Cubs Durjoy and Abantika in their cage at Bangladesh National Zoo in Mirpur, Dhaka on August 16, 2021 | Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
"If the birth of the cubs had been disclosed before, then people would have come to visit them. The sudden crowd may have frightened the parents into eating the cubs," he said.
"Eating cubs to protect them from threats is common behaviour in the wild," the zoo director added.
The cubs were released in their cage alongside their mother Beli before the public on Monday. The father tiger -- Tagar -- is in a separate cage.
Beli was born on November 9, 2017 and Tagar was born on March 1, 2017, according to sources at the zoo. Currently, there are 11 tigers at Mirpur National Zoo, including Durjoy and Abantika.
Last month, three more cubs were also born to a Royal Bengal tiger couple -- Raj and Pori –- at the Chittagong Zoo.
Minister Karim on Monday also released 210 ospreys from the zoo, as their cages are holding birds beyond their capacity.
