Chhattisgarh: Tigress delivers four cubs in Kanan Pendari Zoo, another big cat dies in labor

It was a mixed bag of emotions for officials at Chhattisgarh's Kanan Pendari Zoological Garden where a tigress gave birth to four cubs whereas another pregnant big cat died in labor with two unborn cubs in her womb, both incidents separated by 24 hours. The painful delivery caused the death of tigress 'Mausami' at the zoological garden in the Bilaspur district around 4:15 pm on Monday, a senior official of the zoological garden told reporters on Tuesday. He said vets in the zoo attempted to save the two cubs who were still in the tigress's womb by performing surgery but they were found dead.

“In the presence of Achanakmar Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve's director and the zoo officials, a team of veterinarians including Dr R M Tripathi, Dr Ajeet Pandey and Dr Tripti Soni performed the autopsy and collected the viscera for further examination,” said the official.

Citing veterinarians, he said Dystocia (breech presentation) was the cause behind the death of the tigress.

After the autopsy and other procedures, the forest officials performed the last rites of the tigress, the official added.

The pregnant big cat had shown preliminary symptoms of labor and she kept trying to deliver the cubs till Monday but breathed her last around 4.15 pm, said the official.

Meanwhile, the zoo officials informed that tigress 'Rambha' gave birth to four cubs on Sunday at the same zoo. Earlier, Rambha, who was born in the same zoo on April 25, 2015, delivered two cubs (Bhairav and Durga) on November 11, 2018. Currently, all the cubs are healthy and under constant monitoring of officials.