Bhubaneswar: In a moment of celebration for wildlife enthusiasts, Odisha's Nandankanan Zoological Park has announced the birth of two tiger cubs to white tigress Mousumi on the night of June 7. The cubs were born in Enclosure 28B at 9:15 PM and 11:03 PM, respectively.

According to the zoo authorities, one cub appears to be normal-coloured while the other seems to be white. However, the sex of the cubs has not yet been determined as they are currently under the care of their mother. Zoo staff are closely monitoring the mother and her newborns to ensure proper maternal care and the overall well-being of the cubs.

The birth is the result of successful mating between white tigress Mousumi and normal-coloured tiger Rajesh on February 27 and 28 earlier this year. This is Mousumi’s second litter. Both parents are native to Nandankanan—Mousumi was born on August 5, 2016, to Manish and Sneha, and Rajesh was born on September 22, 2018, to Roshan and Bijaya.

With the addition of the two cubs, the tiger population at Nandankanan has risen to 29. This includes 19 normal-coloured tigers (11 males, 7 females, and 1 cub), six white tigers (3 males, 2 females, and 1 cub), and four melanistic tigers (3 males and 1 female).