Tigress Sheela at Bengal Safari in Siliguri who was pregnant has delivered three cubs today. With the arrival of the babies, the tiger population at Bengal Safari to seven, said, Dharmadeo Rai, Director, Bengal Safari. The park was closed due to COVID-19 pandemic letting the wild cat roam around freely. The birth of cubs is good news for the park also. Photos taken at the park shows the tigress nursing her little ones. The pictures of the newborn tiger cubs with the mother was quick to go viral on social media platforms. Twitterati was quite elated to see the little ones, people were also excited that the birth has paved way for a rise in tiger population. Big Roar! Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh Sees Birth of 6 New Tiger Cubs and 3 Leopard Cubs (View Pics).

Last time Sheela had three cubs with her partner, a tiger named Snehasish but this time, it appears, the father is Bibhan of which one was a white tiger. Of the three cubs, two survived, Rai said. Since the time authorities got to know about Sheela's pregnancy, she has been under the surveillance. The keepers are taking good care of the tigress, another official said. 'Lucky' Tiger Cub Born in Sariska Reserve of Rajasthan: Know What is Infanticide in Carnivores and Why This Newborn Becomes a Special One.

Tigress Sheela With Her Tiger Cubs:

India is home to 80 percent of tigers in the world. In 2006, there were 1,411 tigers which increased to 1,706 in 2010, 2,226 in 2014 and 2967 in 2018. India's tiger conservation efforts played a big role in driving global populations as well. The number of wild tigers globally rose from 3,159 in 2010 to 3,890 in 2016 according to the World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum. In India, there are 50 tiger reserves governed by Project Tiger and administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 12, 2020 12:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).