The Chittagong Zoo is celebrating the birth of three Bengal tiger cubs, born to Raj and Pori, a tiger couple, aged 30 and 28 months, respectively.
Dr Shahadat Hossain Suvo, the Chittagong Zoo's acting curator and veterinary surgeon, confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune.
"The three cubs were born on Wednesday at noon. They are in good health and the mother is suckling its cubs," said Dr Suvo.
He continued: “The newborn cubs will be kept out of the sight of visitors until their eyes develop. It takes about two weeks for a tiger cub’s eyes to develop completely.
“It will not be possible to determine the sex of the cubs until a few more weeks. Also, the first few weeks are a critical period for the cubs and any human contact during this early period could put the mother and her cubs at risk."
The acting curator then added: "If the cubs are exposed to human beings at the moment, the mother could reject the cubs because of acquired human scent. The mother could stop caring for her cubs, and without a mother's care at this stage, the cubs are unlikely to survive."
Chittagong Zoo authorities procured the tiger couple from South Africa, at a cost of Tk33 lakh, on December 9, 2016. With the arrival of three new guests, the total number of the Bengal tigers at the zoo now stands at five.
Set up on February 28, 1989, the zoo is located on six-acres of hilly terrain in the city’s Foy’s Lake area.
Run by the Chittagong district administration, the zoo now houses more than 360 animals of 67 species. Of them, 34 species are of birds while the rest are of reptiles and other mammals.
