Bhubaneswar: A three-year-old tigress, Jayashree, gave birth to three cubs at Nandankanan Zoological Park on Saturday, but only one has survived, zoo authorities said on Sunday.
The birth marks Jayashree’s first litter after a gestation period of 101 days. She had mated with the tiger Amit between September 15 and 17, 2025. Being her first delivery, the tigress reportedly lacked maternal instincts, which affected her ability to care for the cubs.
The first cub was born at 11:55 am. As Jayashree did not attend to it, zoo staff immediately shifted the newborn to the Neonatal Care Unit (NCU), where it is under continuous observation by veterinary doctors.
The second cub, delivered at around 3:34 pm, was extremely weak at birth. During handling, the tigress accidentally rolled over it, causing fatal injuries. The third cub, born at 4:55 pm, was consumed by the tigress soon after birth.
Currently, the surviving cub is receiving round-the-clock veterinary care in the Zoo Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit to ensure its health and well-being.
With this birth, the total tiger population at Nandankanan Zoological Park now stands at 29, including 18 males and 11 females, with no other cubs currently counted in the enclosures.
