Bhubaneswar: In a tragic incident, a nine-month-old male tiger cub has died at Nandankanan Zoological Park.
The cub, a normal reddish-coloured male, was born from the first pregnancy of tigress Jayashree. Three cubs were born from the mating of tiger Amit and tigress Jayashree on December 27, 2025. Out of them, two cubs had died. The surviving cub was not accepted by Jayashree. Therefore, the zoo authorities separated the cub from its mother and kept it in the rearing centre.
On August 14 night, the cub suddenly fell ill and reduced its food intake. It became weak and its body temperature increased. The veterinarians examined its health and collected various samples for testing. Treatment was continued by administering antibiotics, vitamins and saline. However, there was no improvement in the tiger cub’s health condition.
Despite the dedicated efforts of doctors, the cub finally succumbed. The exact cause of death is yet to be ascertained, and the post-mortem report is awaited.
With this latest loss, the tiger population at Nandankanan has now come down to 26.
