9 months after tiger mating, no good news from MHTR
KOTA: Despite mating of the relocated MT-3 Tiger and MT-4 Tigress at Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) of Kota over 10 months back, there hasn’t been any news of birth of tiger cubs so far.
While MT-3 had strayed from Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR) of Swai Madhopur into MHTR on its own in February last year, MT-4 alias ‘Lightening’ was tranquilised in RTR and later relocated to MHTR in April 2019.
Despite reports of the mating between MT-3 and MT-4 in the first week of June 2019, it seems that the wildlife department is apparently either clueless or not willing to share any information about the birth of cubs at MHTR.
As per wildlife department officials, the gestation period of tigers are 93 to 112 days (nearly four months) but such time after mating of MT-3 and MT-4 have also passed without report of any birth of cubs.
When asked, chief conservator of forest, wildlife department, Kota, Anand Mohan said, “Tigers behave like human beings in a way and takes lot of time acclimatizing in the new habitat and they go for mating only when they adjust themselves in the surroundings.”
Tigers behave like human beings in a way and takes lot of time acclimatizing in the new habitat...
ANAND MOHAN, chief conservator of forest, wildlife department, Kota
“So far there are some indications but nothing is confirmed yet about the birth of the tiger cub or pregnancy of Tigress MT-4 in the field or camera trap,” he said.
However, he confirmed that both MT-3 and MT-4 are adult and have reached the age to reproduce. “Mating between MT-3, which is five years old and MT-4, which ages around four years, has taken place in June last year,” he said.
When asked about evidences of pregnancy or lactation, Anand Mohan said that there are indications of pregnancy but “we are not sure about it as such confirmations need close observation and we are dependent only on camera traps for judging it.”
“Nothing can be confirmed at the moment unless any birth of tiger cubs are captured on the camera or sighted by the field staff,” he said.
However, wildlife experts are hopeful of the birth of cubs soon.
Tapeshwar Singh Bhati, Founder, Mukundra Environment and Wildlife society said, “We are keeping our fingers crossed as there is no confirmation of the birth of cubs but the tigress can give birth soon.”
Currently, there are two tigers and two tigresses at MHTR which were relocated from RTR of Swai Madhopur district to MHTR of Kota in last two years.
About the other pair, MT-1 Tiger and MT-2 Tigress, Anand Mohan said that there is no report of mating so far.