Siliguri, 07th December: Three Royal Bengal tiger cubs have tragically died at the Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri, following an accidental bite by their mother, Rika.
Reportedly, Rika, the Royal Bengal tigress, gave birth to three cubs last week, which were kept in a night shelter for safety. However, an unfortunate incident occurred when Rika attempted to move her cubs by picking it up in her mouth. During the process, she accidentally bit the cubs on the neck. As a result, two cubs died immediately from the injury. Despite efforts by the park authorities to save the third cub, it also succumbed to the injuries.
In, this regard, Sourav Chowdhury, the Secretary of the West Bengal Zoo Authority, stated that this was Rika’s second litter of cubs, and the deaths occurred due to an unintended bite while she was trying to move her cubs. The cubs suffered severe injuries to their windpipes and deep wounds on their necks, which led to their deaths.
Bengal Safari Park Director Vijay Kumar also confirmed that the deaths were a result of the mother’s mistake. He assured that the incident is under investigation to understand the circumstances better.