Gorewada tigress delivers four cubs, then kills them

Nagpur: The joy of the Gorewada Rescue Centre staff run by Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) was short-lived when female tigress there, Lee, delivered four cubs but killed them all shortly. FDCM managing director Umesh Agrawal confirmed the incident.
This was the first superfluous ex situ conservation experiment of tigers by the FDCM but failed badly as new mother failed to ‘handle’ cubs properly. The cubs were to be shared with Maharajbagh Zoo equally. Eight-year-old human-reared Lee was brought to the rescue centre from Maharajbagh in July last for breeding by mating with a disabled male Sahebrao. She had mated with the male three months ago delivery was expected on February 20.

Sources said, Lee delivered four cubs on Feb 23 night at an interval of two hours from 8pm to 4am. They included three females and one male.

“The cubs died after they suffered injuries in the brain and neck when Lee lifted them but applied too much pressure. Being reared by humans probably led to her not developing natural instincts of a wild tigress. But it can also happen in case of tigers in wild,” said Dr Prashant Sonkusre, assistant professor in pathology department at Nagpur Veterinary College.

FDCM officials had video recorded the entire sequence from delivery to their death. Sonkusre said two cubs died as their spinal cord got dislocated. One suffered lung puncture. One cub suffered injury in stomach while being lifted by the mother. The officials tried to save it by feeding milk but could not.

All the cubs were cremated at 4pm on Saturday after performing post-mortem in presence of senior FDCM officials at Gorewada. The behaviour of tigress was said to be normal. The only consolation for Gorewada officials was that delivery of four cubs points towards good conditions in the Centre for breeding.

Wildlife experts said the deaths were caused due to poor maternal care. “Internal organs of cubs must have got damaged due to excessive pressure, which indicates the mother was unable to take proper care,” they said.

“There is no human interference in Gorewada. Deaths taking place despite best measures raises question mark with regard to captive breeding of big cats,” said conservationist Prafulla Bhamburkar.