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Sepahijala Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary Director Biswajit Das on Monday said that a tigress in the zoo enclosures gave birth to three healthy tiger cubs last week.

"This is for the first time in the history of the Sepahijala Zoo, a tigress in the enclosures at a time gave birth to three tiger cubs after the zoo was set up in 1972," Das told IANS.

He said that after the birth of the three cubs, the number of big cats in Sepahijala Zoo has increased to five. The official said that under the animal exchange programme, a pair of tigers was brought to the Sepahijala Zoo from West Bengal in February last year.

According to Das, the mother tigress and her newborn cubs are doing well inside the enclosure. The male tiger has been shifted to the other enclosure as part of precautionary measures, he said, adding that several Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras have been installed in and around the enclosure to monitor round-the-clock the behaviour and other activities of the first-time mother and her cubs.

Tourists and other wildlife enthusiasts are not being allowed to visit near the enclosure to make sure that the mother and the cubs remain undisturbed, he said.

The Zoo Director said that balanced and nutritious foods, including fresh meat, are being given to the tigress. Healthy soups are being given to the new mother a number of times every day so that the cubs get enough milk from the tigress.

Forest, Science and Technology and Environment Minister Animesh Debbarma expressed his happiness over the birth of three tiger cubs in the Sepahijala Zoo.

"Birth of three cubs is an optimistic indication for tiger conservation efforts at the zoo," the Minister told IANS.

Saying that he would soon visit the zoo to see the tiger cubs and the necessary facilities, Debbarma informed that his department has been making continuous efforts to make Sepahijala Zoo a world-class animal conservation hub.

"We need the support of the Central Zoo Authority to train our people and financial support from the Central government to further develop the zoo," the minister said.

The Sepahijala Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary, which covers an area of about 18.53 square km and is located 35 km south of Agartala city, is one of the important tourist destinations in the northeastern state.

In 2024-25, over 1.70 lakh tourists from the state and other parts of the country visited the Sepahijala Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary, another official said.

- IANS