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Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
3 more tiger cubs admitted at Delhi zoo hospital due to infection
Three of the six newly born tiger cubs at the Delhi zoo have been admitted at the hospital due to an infection, officials said on Thursday. Last week, another cub was admitted at the Delhi zoo hospital, taking the total tally of cubs hospitalised to four. One of the cubs sent to the hospital earlier this week. (H Photo) Six Bengal tiger cubs were born to seven-year-old Tigress Aditi at the Delhi zoo on August 4, the largest litter at the zoo in two decades. However, the celebration has been marred with death of two cubs - one described as the weakest of the litter died on August 8, and another which was not able to feed on mother's milk on August 10. The condition of the three cubs is critical while the fourth one admitted last week is stable and being hand-reared, said officials. Zoo veterinary officer Dr Abhijit Bhawal said all three new cubs were showing signs of lethargy on Wednesday and were admitted to the hospital in the early hours of Thursday. 'They were weak, running with high fever, had moist nostrils and not consuming milk -- symptoms suggestive of an infection. Further investigation is being carried out to determine the cause,' said Bhawal. He added that they are being hand-reared in isolation and efforts are being made to stabilise them. On August 15, a cub was admitted to the hospital in a similar condition. The zoo had carried out hand-rearing of two lion cubs earlier this year too, now four months old, Bhawal added. 'Out of the four cubs born to lioness Mahagauri this year, two died and others were rejected by the mother, but were hand-reared and raised by us. They will soon be taken to the main enclosure.' he said. 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 has been chosen for tiger conservation and breeding.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
One newborn tiger cub at Delhi Zoo admitted to hospital, 3 remain with mother
One of the four remaining Bengal tiger cubs born to tigress Aditi was admitted to the hospital in the early hours of Saturday and is now being hand-reared, with its condition 'stable', the Delhi Zoo said on Sunday. The remaining three cubs are with the mother and are feeding regularly. Two of the six cubs born to seven-year-old Aditi on August 4 died last week, so the zoo is making all efforts to protect the remaining four cubs, officials said. The cub being fed a special milk formula for cats, which also contains vitamin supplements. (HT Photo) The female cub was shifted to the hospital on Saturday at 12.10 am after it had not consumed milk for more than 12 hours, zoo officials said. The cub had become weak but has been stabilised by being fed a special milk formula for cats, which also contains vitamin supplements. 'The cub did not at first consume the milk formula as it was used to its mother's milk. It usually takes one to two days to adapt to this. But the milk replacer has successfully been introduced and this was the same formula we used to hand-rear two lion cubs earlier,' said zoo veterinary officer Abhijit Bhawal, adding that the cub is being kept in a special basket and is covered with warm clothes to simulate its mother's presence. 'Every three hours, the cub is being hand-fed. Its body weight has increased by 200 grams since it was admitted here,' Bhawal told HT, adding that three keepers are monitoring the animal. The cub is kept in warm blankets to simulate its mother's presence. (HT Photo) Tigress Aditi's litter of six Bengal tiger cubs was the largest the zoo had seen in two decades. Of the six cubs, one, which the zoo said was the weakest of the litter, died on August 8. Another cub was fairly weak and was not able to feed on the mother's milk. 'It was weaned and transferred to the zoo hospital on August 9 but died on August 10 despite all efforts to save its life. We are constantly monitoring the mother and cubs through CCTV and the keepers. Required supplements are being given to the mother, too, to enhance milk letdown,' Delhi zoo director Sanjeet Kumar had said previously. Meanwhile, two smooth-coated otters which had arrived at the Delhi zoo on August 14, after a 1,200-km journey from the Surat Zoo in Gujarat, are doing well. The species was brought back to the zoo after 21 years — it was last seen here in 2004. Bhawal said the otters are currently in quarantine for a month but have begun exploring the new area. 'They have made burrows and are gradually settling in to the new space. Every four to five days, their pool will be cleaned with fresh water incorporated,' he said, adding that fish are being given to them after being washed in a sodium dichloroisocyanurate solution. 'They are feeding on 3kg of fish, which includes sea fish like Bombay duck and mackerel, and fresh riverine fishes species like tilapia and labeo bata,' he said.
The Print
4 days ago
- Health
- The Print
After two newly born Bengal tiger cubs die, Delhi zoo intensifies effort to protect remaining four
According to zoo authorities, the female cub had grown weak after going without milk for over 12 hours. It was fed a specially prepared milk formula enriched with vitamins, similar to the one used successfully in the past to hand-rear lion cubs. One of the cubs was shifted to the zoo hospital on Saturday morning after it stopped suckling, officials said. The cub, now being hand-reared, is stable. New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) After losing two of the six Bengal tiger cubs born earlier this month, the National Zoological Park in Delhi has stepped up efforts to ensure survival of the remaining four. 'The cub resisted initially, as it takes a couple of days for them to adapt to a replacer after growing used to the mother's milk. But the formula has now been introduced successfully,' said veterinary officer Abhijit Bhawal. He said the cub is being kept in a basket lined with warm clothes to simulate the mother's warmth and is hand-fed every three hours. Since admission, its weight has increased by about 200 grams, Bhawal added. The other three cubs continue to stay with their mother Aditi, and are nursing regularly. Aditi, aged seven, gave birth to the litter of six on August 4, the largest at the zoo in nearly two decades. The last instance of such a large litter was in 2005, but only two survived. This time, two cubs have already died. One, described as the weakest, died on August 8. Another was taken to the hospital on August 9 after it struggled to feed but succumbed the next day despite intensive care. Zoo director Sanjeet Kumar had earlier said that the tigress and her cubs are under constant CCTV surveillance, and nutritional supplements are being provided to Aditi to aid milk production. Meanwhile, the zoo has also welcomed two smooth-coated otters brought in from Surat earlier this month after a 1,200-kilometre journey. The species has returned to the Delhi Zoo after 21 years, last seen here in 2004. Currently under a month-long quarantine, the otters have begun adjusting to their new surroundings. 'They are exploring, making burrows, and are being fed around three kilograms of fish daily, including species like tilapia, labeo bata, mackerel and bombay duck,' Bhawal said. Their pool will be replenished with fresh water every four to five days, he added. The Delhi Zoo was established in November 1959 and is managed by the Union Environment Ministry. PTI NSM RUK RUK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
11-08-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Choicest fish, secure travel cage: Pair of smooth-coated otters set off on 1,200-km journey to Delhi Zoo
Travel arrangements secured, and a feast of Tilapia, Bombay Duck, Mudfish, Asian sea bass, and Indian White Mullet packed: A pair of smooth-coated otters were all set on Monday, as they began a 1,200-km journey from Surat to their new home — the National Zoological Park (NZP) in Delhi. The animals, arriving after an exchange programme with the Surat zoo, will be seen at the Delhi zoo's water pool for the first time in two decades. The last otter at the National Zoological Park died in 2004. 'For the 1,200-km road journey, arrangements have been made for a secure animal cage,' said Dr Abhijit Bhawal, veterinarian at the Delhi zoo. A team from Delhi went to Surat to transport the animals. Upon arrival, the otters will be quarantined for 21 days and their enclosure is being readied. 'We found this to be a suitable month for the exchange as the animals will have enough time to acclimatise and prepare for the winter,' added Dr Bhawal. The Central Zoo Authority had approved the exchange between February 17 and August 16 this year. From the Shyamaprasad Mukherji Zoological Garden in Sarthana, Surat, Delhi will receive 10 Indian star tortoises and the otter pair in exchange for five sangai deer, two blue-yellow macaws and four green-cheeked conures. Delhi zoo director, Dr Sanjeet Kumar, wrote to the Surat zoo superintendent, informing them that a veterinary officer would travel along with the animals from the national capital for health checks and formalities. While Delhi's temperatures and climate are suitable for the otters, Surat zoo's veterinary officer Dr Rajesh Patel said the main challenge is to prevent female infighting once young otters hit puberty around 3.5 years. 'In 2008, we recorded 60 births here. When otter pups grow, the risk of infighting rises, so we separate the parents to prevent a group from isolating and killing a weaker member,' he said. The Surat zoo currently houses 39 otters, with one family of 11 on display and six breeding pairs in a separate enclosure. 'I have seen such a large otter population only in the wild,' Dr Bhawal noted. 'Our aim with the visit was also to learn Surat's management system, as breeding otters in captivity is notoriously difficult.' 'There is no major disease or survival risk. Mainly food and sanitation need to be taken care of. Breeding remains the only real challenge,' Dr Patel added.
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
How Delhi zoo is hand-rearing a lion cub after celebrating the birth of its first litter in 16 years
At the National Zoological Park (NZP) in Delhi, a newborn female Asiatic lion cub is now at the centre of a delicate rescue effort. The veterinary staff has been working around the clock to hand-rear the cub after it was found to be weak and neglected by its mother. Nestled in a temperature-controlled enclosure within the zoo hospital, the newborn is being fed kitten milk replacer, a special milk formula, every two hours and it is beginning to respond well to intensive care, senior zoo officials told The Indian Express on Wednesday. Born on Sunday as part of a rare litter of four—the first in 16 years at the Delhi zoo—the cub initially remained with its mother, five-year-old Mahagauri. The next day, however, it was moved to the zoo hospital after showing signs of weakness. 'Presently, hand-rearing of the lion cub is ongoing at the zoo hospital of NZP. The cub is stabilising and responding well for now. She is on kitten milk replacer, which is being given every two hours, and remains under continuous monitoring,' said Dr Abhijit Bhawal, veterinary officer at the Delhi Zoo. The process is not new for the zoo authorities as they have previously hand-reared tiger cubs as well. Additionally, the cub's body weight is being continuously monitored. 'The cub was born on April 27 along with three others. Unfortunately, one was underdeveloped and did not survive. The current cub under care was shifted to the hospital after she was found weak and unattended by the mother. The remaining two cubs are with the lioness and are doing well,' added Bhawal. Dr Sanjeet Kumar, director of the zoo, listed to The Indian Express the parameters that are being monitored: daily body weight and other vitals, fixing quantity of milk per feed and interval of feeding, pre-feeding and post-feeding protocols, and sampling of faeces. The Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009, laid down by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), mandates a nursery for the hand-rearing of animal infants in recognised zoos. As per a CZA publication titled 'Hand rearing of wild mammals in captivity', 'Hand rearing practice generally includes some basic arrangement like provision of sanitation, warm environment, a suitable feeding regimen, attention to excretions (emptying of the bowels) and general health.' 'From record-keeping and physical examinations to intensive care, sanitation, housing, and providing the appropriate milk formula, managing infants — especially of large mammal species — is both challenging and highly time-sensitive,' said Bhawal. There are species-specific protocols for hand-rearing, as per CZA. Intervention by veterinarians and zookeepers is carried out only if necessary, as the primary focus remains on minimal human interference. The cubs are fathered by Maheshwar, a male lion brought to the zoo in an animal exchange programme from Gujarat's Sakkarbaug Zoo in 2021.
