Mumbai: Byculla zoo welcomes tiger cub

Mumbai’s Byculla zoo on Tuesday welcomed a female Royal Bengal Tiger cub. The cub was born on November 14 to Karishma and Shakti — the Royal Bengal Tiger pair brought to Veermata Jijabai Udyan, which the zoo is officially known as, from the Aurangabad zoo in February 2020.
The two-month-old cub named Veera is stable and reared by Karishma, said zoo officials.

The cub is being kept under observation for six months away from people. As its vaccinations are yet to be completed, veterinarians in the zoo, though, keep an eye on the newborn.

Penguin named Oscar at Byculla Zoo, Mumbai. (Express Photo)

Cubs are highly susceptible to diseases in the first six months. “We are therefore following extreme precautions. Because of Covid-19, we have limited the intervention by vets. We also have to make sure that the mother doesn’t feel insecure,” said a zoo official. Zoo officials said Shakti never enters Karishma’s shelter but is seen looking at the cub from his exhibit.

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar announced the arrival of the cub on Tuesday. After nearly 14 years, Byculla zoo got a pair of Royal Bengal Tigers when Karishma and Shakti were brought in 2020. The last tiger the zoo had died in 2006.

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar. (Express Photo)

Shakti and Karishma, categorised as young adult tigers, had paired up in the Aurangabad zoo. Since they had been bred in captivity and lived in the Aurangabad zoo all their lives, they were accustomed to the presence of humans. Karishma is five to six years old and described as aggressive while four-year-old Shakti is dominant, said zoo officials.

The mayor on Tuesday also announced the name of the penguin chick born on August 19 to Flipper, the oldest female among the Humboldts, and Mr Molt, the youngest male penguin in the zoo. The chick was named Oscar.

Before this, on May 1, a chick named Oreo was born to pair Donald and Daisy. The arrival of the penguin chicks was announced in September. Sanjay Tripathi, the zoo director, said that the names of the chick and cub were mutually decided by veterinarians and other staffers.