12 March,2026 03:35 PM IST | Jaipur | mid-day online correspondent
Representational image. File pic
A tigress has given birth to three cubs in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, taking the total number of the big cats in the protected area to 53, officials said on Thursday.
The officials said, "The movement and condition of the tigress and the cubs appear normal at first glance. Tigress ST-17 had earlier also given birth to cubs, and this is her second successful breeding," as per PTI.
The newly born cubs were captured in camera trap photographs and videos in the Akbarpur range of the 1,200 sq km reserve, along with their mother.
The officials, while briefing about the birth of tiger cubs, also said that monitoring teams have been directed to keep a close watch on the activities of the tigress and her cubs.
Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma described the development as good news for wildlife conservation in the state.
The Minister added, "Good news from Sariska Tiger Reserve. Tigress ST-17 is blessed with three newborn cubs in the Akbarpur range of Sariska. The growing tiger family tells the success story of Rajasthan's wildlife conservation. The government is always committed to forest and wildlife conservation," as cited by PTI.
Furthermore, the wildlife experts said that the birth of three cubs reflects the success of tiger conservation and rehabilitation efforts in the reserve.
The birth of three new tiger cubs marks a special place in Sariska Tiger Reserve because the big cats around 2004-05 had become completely extinct due to poaching.
However, it was in 2008 that a tiger relocation programme was launched by shifting the animal from Ranthambore National Park to Sariska, an effort considered the first of its kind in the world, the experts said.
The officials further highlighted that sustained management, intensive patrolling, camera trap monitoring, augmentation of prey species, and relocation of villages since then have helped steadily increase the tiger population in the reserve.
As many as 36 tiger deaths have been reported in India so far in 2026, with Madhya Pradesh recording highest number of big cat deaths in past months.
According to the data compiled by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), among the states, Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of deaths at 12, followed by Maharashtra with eight deaths and Assam with four.
The NTCA data also stated that 20 tiger deaths occurred inside tiger reserves, while 16 were reported outside protected areas.
(With inputs from PTI)
