First documented tigress-cub reunion in Kaziranga captivates NE conservationists

Guwahati, May 11: In probably the first ever documented case of a tigress reuniting with her cub after it was left abandoned for over a day, a tigress was filmed retrieving her cub from a 10th Addition area of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve bordering human habitation.

The entire exercise was done by the Kaziranga National Park authorities in coordination with Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and residents of Bihpukhuri, a fringe village along the southern boundary of the 10th Addition.

“This is a successful case of a tigress coming back to retrieve her cub and reunite, which is certainly the first such documented case in the Northeast, if not in the country,” Dr Panjit Basumatary, wildlife veterinarian with WTI, who supervised the exercise, told The Assam Tribune.

After the tigress – which had also killed a cow – was noticed with two cubs in the area, a joint team of Forest and WTI led by Range Officer Nayan Jyoti Gogoi found one cub inside the 10th Addition area on April 30, but the tigress and the other cub were missing.

“We found one cub resting under a dense bush undergrowth and thick leaf litter. There was no sign of the second cub. A carcass of a cow was also there, suggesting the tigress may have stockpiled food prior to giving birth. The tigress had already shifted one cub and was likely to return for the other,” Range Officer Nayan Jyoti Gogoi said.

The team identified three approach routes to the bush and installed one camera trap per route to document any movement of the tigress.

“It was of utmost importance to prevent human interference, for which we deployed security teams to Bihpukhuri and Kathanibari, sealing the forest entry points. Monabarie Tea Estate authorities also assisted us in convincing the local communities residing nearby not to venture near the 10th Addition area. The village secretaries, TE mohoris and our staff visited every house and advised them against venturing near the forest areas,” he added.

Following expert advice, the area was left undisturbed for 48-72 hours post-camera installation.

On May 2, the team revisited the site to check whether the cub had been retrieved by its mother. As per Dr Basumatari’s advice, the team took a bottle with glucose solution to feed the cub in case it was still not retrieved by its mother.

“But the cub was not there, and nearby impressions at the entrance of the bush indicated that an animal had entered. We checked the camera trap footage, and it revealed three photographs, showing a tigress approaching the bush at 1 pm on May 1 and departing at 1:02 pm with the cub in her mouth. These images confirmed the successful reunion of the cub with its mother,” Gogoi said.

The successful operation testifies to well-coordinated efforts among the Forest Department, wildlife experts, frontline staff and fringe villagers which ensured minimal disturbance to the tigress.

“We need more such field-based conservation, stakeholders’ teamwork, and scientifically guided wildlife management to boost conservation,” he added.