Four tiger cubs rescued from Karnataka’s Hunsur die over nine days

Four tiger cubs rescued near Gaudanakatte in Hunsur taluk died within days of being separated from their mother

Four tiger cubs rescued near Gaudanakatte in Hunsur taluk died within days of being separated from their mother, despite efforts by veterinarians at the Koorgalli Rehabilitation Centre to stabilize them. The animals, already weakened after going nearly 48 hours without food, were unable to recover once they were taken into care.

According to officials, the cubs went 48 hours without food, before dying. (HT Archives)

The mother and her four cubs were first spotted on November 28 in a maize field belonging to a local farmer, Prakash. Forest personnel captured the mother later that night after reports of rising activity near the village. The cubs, however, were not located until November 30. By then, forest officials said the young animals had spent hours running through the fields in panic as crowds gathered and noise levels escalated during the operation.

When they were eventually moved to the rehabilitation centre, the cubs remained fearful, refused to feed properly and showed signs of extreme fatigue. Their conditions worsened steadily, and all four died over a period of four days.

Hunsur Deputy Conservator of Forests Fayazuddin confirmed the timeline of the fatalities. “On December 1, one female cub died due to cardiopulmonary failure and acute severe gastritis, and a male cub died on December 5 because of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis and encephalitis. The office recorded that on 07-12-2025 one female cub, and on 09-12-2025 another female cub, died due to feline panleukopenia, despite our best efforts. The rescued mother is safe and undergoing treatment,” he said.

Post-mortem examinations were conducted, and tissue samples have been sent to a Bengaluru laboratory for further analysis. Officials say they are awaiting the final results before releasing a detailed report on the deaths.