World Tiger Day was celebrated at Mysore zoo in a fitting manner here on Tuesday. The three male cubs of white tigress Manya were christened to mark the occasion. The zoo had invited the public to suggest names for the cubs.
The names for the cubs were selected through a draw of lots by visitors. Accordingly, the cubs were christened as Vayuputra, Mruthyunjaya and Prithvi. The cubs were born to Manya and Brahma on June 4 last year.
The zoo has given impetus for the breeding of tigers in captivity. The captive breeding got a boost with the arrival of some wild tigers, mainly Brahma, a 13-year-old male, which was caught in the Brahmagiri forest range in Kodagu. The zoo staff are closely monitoring the mother and cubs through CCTV cameras.
Captive breeding
Another tiger, Shiva, which was captured in Bandipur Tiger Reserve after it killed three persons last year, had been retained in the zoo for captive breeding. The breeding of tigers born in captivity had resulted in a limited gene pool, say zoo authorities. Captured or rescued wild tigers provide a chance to introduce new bloodlines.
Tiger keeper Govinda and other staff members of the Tiger House interacted with visitors on ‘Tigers in captivity’ at the main entrance of Tiger House at the zoo to mark World Tiger Day. Pictures of zoo tigers had been displayed at the entrance.
