Were tiger cubs born at Rajasthan's RVTR reserve? Nobody knows so far

KOTA: Wildlife enthusiasts are anxious over no "good news" emerging from Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) in Bundi, the newly declared fourth tiger reserve in the state, even after six months of a tigress having been released from the enclosure into the forest for mating with a tiger.
Tigress RVTR-2 was released into the reserve in September last for mating with the tiger already wandering in the forest. No news of any cubs being born yet has prompted wildlife enthusiast to hold the forest department responsible and blame the department for the delay in shifting another tigress to the reserve to ensure safe delivery of the cubs from first tigress and their protective upbringing. Tiger cubs often fall prey to the tiger when the tigress shows little interest in mating after giving birth.
The forest department had shifted tigress T-102 to RVTR on July 24 last, renamed it RVTR-2 and released it from its enclosure into the reserve on September 1 for mating with the tiger T-115, renamed as RVTR-1. With a tigress typically giving birth to cubs three months after mating, wildlife enthusiasts were hopeful of seeing a few cubs along with the pair of big cats from December onwards.
"Until a photo of the cubs is captured in the cameras, there can be no confirmation of any cubs having been born. There is always the possibility of the cubs being born as there is a pair in the forest," said Sanjeev Sharma, the DFO of RVTR. The department plans to shift another tigress into RVTR for the tiger. "A proposal for the same has been forwarded for sanction. Shifting of the new tigress is expected next month," added Sharma.
While the tigress was presumed to have delivered cubs in December or January, the absence of any cubs in the camera capture raises the possibility that the cubs failed to survive due to inadequate care and attendance to them by the tigress. "It is quite possible because the tiger, as usual, was unlikely to have let the tigress enough time and freedom to feed and take care of the cubs," said former honorary wildlife warden Prathvi Singh Rajawat.
"Maybe the cubs were born but could not survive or were killed. A leopard and a hyena were found killed by wild animals in the forest. Maybe they were killed by the tigress for attacking the cubs. The forest department should clear the many doubts hovering over the issue of the birth of the cubs," added Rajawat.
In the first week of Jaunary, the forest department had presumed the birth of the cubs and installed cameras at Charbhuja temple below the reserve. "Monitoring was intensified, and the movement of locals in the area was restricted. But the department did not disclose what happened," said Tribhuvan Singh Hada, president of Ramgarh Tiger Foundation.
"If there had been timely shifting of another tigress into RVTR, the big cat family would have been in prosperity today," added Hada.