Tigress In Madhya Pradesh's Pench Tiger Reserve Gives Birth To 4 Cubs

A tigress has given birth to four cubs at Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district, a senior forest official said on Tuesday.

Tourists spotted the big cat and her cubs crossing a road in Karmajhiri core area in the morning, the PTR's deputy director Rajneesh Singh told PTI.

While the tigress is yet to be identified, the cubs are aged around one and a half months, he said.

Some tourists shot a video of the tigress on their mobile phones and the same is being shared on social media, he said.

Next Gen glimpsed today at #Pench Tiger Reserve@ChouhanShivraj @KrVijayShah @minforestmp @ntca_india @JansamparkMP @MPTourism #mptourism #tiger #tigercub #cubs #babies #baby pic.twitter.com/B1dRxJoLIS

— Pench Tiger Reserve (@PenchMP) May 24, 2022

The PTR has also shared the video on its official Facebook page.

Satish Singh, a guide and naturalist working in the reserve, claimed that the tigress that gave birth to the cubs is named Runijhuni and is around five to six years old.

During a safari at Turia Gate, tourists in eight vehicles spotted the tigress with her cubs in the morning, he said.

As per an official estimate, there are about 80 tigers, including cubs, in the tiger reserve. According to the 2018 tiger census, 56 tigers were present in Pench Tiger Reserve, an official said.

Madhya Pradesh is home to the highest number of tigers in the country as per the 2018 census, an official earlier said. 

The state is home to a number of tiger reserves, including Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Satpura and Panna.