CHENNAI: If you were hoping to get at least a glimpse of the newborn tiger cubs at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur, fret not because the cubs are set to become star attractions this summer.
Due to popular demand, officials at the zoo have set up a system where visitors can view the cubs and their mothers through a monitor screen placed near the white tiger enclosure. This facility will be available from Saturday.
The zoo has been receiving several requests from visitors for the public viewing of the five newborn white tiger cubs. Since the new mothers have a tendency to become restless and aggressive and the cubs do not have the capacity to defend themselves against other tigers, they are not placed in the moat enclosure. The cubs can be placed in the common white tiger enclosures only after a year. Hence, two CCTV cameras have been placed in the current enclosure of the white tiger Anu and its three cubs Thaaraa, Meeraa, and Bheemaa, and two more in the enclosure of white tiger Namrutha and its cubs, Aadhithyaa and Karnaa. The cameras have been connected to a 27-inch monitor placed near the white tiger enclosure and 10 second video footages from the four cameras will be played repeatedly. Through this system visitors have the opportunity to observe the inherent nature of mother tigers and their relationship with their cubs. According to a release from the zoo, this is the first time in India such a system is being introduced in a zoo.
Chief Minister J Jayalalitha had christened the newborn cubs earlier this month.