india

Updated: May 22, 2015 14:13 IST

The mother with her grown up four tigers in Corbett reserve. (Photo: Danish Khan)

A nine-year-old tigress and her four grown-up cubs are now a major attraction at the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) in Uttarakhand. The tigress has managed to raise her four cubs for more than two years.

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has said the survival rate of tiger cubs has taken a hit due to poaching as well as frequent attacks by adult tigers and other animals.

YV Khala, a senior scientist at WII, said, "The survival rate of tiger cubs is generally around 40-50%. That’s why during estimations, only tigers above 1.5 years of age are recorded.”

A grown-up tiger with his kill in Corbett reserve. (Photo: Danish Khan)

Sameer Sinha, director of Corbett reserve, said, "The challenge before a mother tigress is to provide food for her growing cubs. Usually only one cub survives. However, in this case, she has managed to fulfil the needs of all the four. This was primarily possible because there’s ample prey available in the reserve.”



A grown-up tiger playing with its mother in Corbett reserve. (Photo: Danish Khan)

According to a 2014 estimate, the total number of tigers in the reserve stood at 190.



“Yes, it is refreshing to watch the tigress play with her cubs. But, we have to respect her personal space. We are keeping a close watch for any interference,” Saket Badola, deputy director of Corbett reserve, said.