Two Royal Bengal tigers cubs born in Assam zoo

Two Royal Bengal tiger cubs were born at the Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden in Guwahati, raising the population of the animal there to nine, a forest department official said on Monday.

Tigress Kazi gave birth to the two cubs on February 3 and the mother and the babies are fine, DFO-Zoo Dr Ashwini Kumar said.

Heaters were placed outside their cage and adequate dry straw inside the enclosure to protect them from the cold weather, he said.

Kazi had earlier given birth to two cubs in August 2020 and they were named Sultan and Suresh.

Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya has been requested by the zoo authorities to name the newborn cubs.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), Amit Sahai, said Kazi was being provided with a nutritious diet.

With the arrival of the new inmates, the zoo would be able to attract more visitors now, he said.