Six Bengal tiger cubs born at Delhi Zoo

The cubs were born to Aditi, a 7-year-old tigress, and white tiger Vijay. Royal Bengal tigers and white tigers are the same species

Six Bengal tiger cubs were born at the Delhi Zoo on Monday morning, the largest litter born at the zoo in two decades, officials said. The cubs were born to Aditi, a 7-year-old tigress, and white tiger Vijay, building on the zoo’s ongoing breeding efforts. In 2023 , another tigress, Siddhi, gave birth to five cubs, two of which survived.

The newborn cubs with their mother. (HT Photo)

The zoo said it will monitor the mother and cubs 24x7 through CCTV surveillance, adding that the first 48 hours are crucial for any litter.

“The cubs were born to tigress Aditi, who is aged between 7 and 8 years. She gave birth to six cubs between 9 and 11am and this is her first litter,” said Delhi zoo director Sanjeet Kumar, adding that the tigress was of wild origins and was acquired from the Gorewada rescue centre in Nagpur. “So far, the tigress is taking care of the cubs while we constantly monitor it. Surveillance through CCTV cameras will continue 24x7,” said Kumar.Before the bird of the latest litter, the zoo had six white tigers and seven Bengal tigers.

In 2023, tigress Siddhi, who was also acquired from Gorewada in Nagpur, gave birth to five cubs, marking the first successful birth of Bengal tiger cubs at the zoo in nearly 18 years. However, only two eventually survived, with three stillborn. In 2005, a litter of six was delivered but only two survived.

Meanwhile, the last white tiger birth came in 2022, when white tigress Sita delivered three cubs of which two survived. In 2015, a litter of five white tiger cubs was also born.

Zoo officials said Aditi mated with the white tiger Vijay, who also produced white tiger offsprings in 2022. White tigers lack the pigment pheomelanin, which gives Bengal tigers their distinctive orange hue. However, both are the same species. “They are different colours but are technically the Bengal tiger only,” Kumar added.

Delhi zoo veterinary officer Abhijit Bhawal said they had been trying to breed Aditi since 2023, with failed attempts in both 2023 and 2024. “In 2023, we tried mating Aditi with Karan. After no success, we tried with another Bengal tiger named Hari, but that, too, failed. Finally, we tried breeding with Vijay – who is the father of tigers Avni and Vyom, and had success,” said Bhawal, adding that they received confirmation of the pregnancy on May 26 from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI).

“The cubs are all in the cell with the mother. We are monitoring them closely. The next 48 hours are crucial in order to ensure the litter survives,” Bhawal said, adding that five of the clubs appeared to be doing well.

The zoo has been housing tigers since its inauguration on November 1, 1959. In 2010, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) started a planned conservation breeding programme of 73 critically endangered wild animal species, as part of the National Zoo Policy 1998. Under it, the Delhi Zoo was chosen to conserve and breed tigers.