Rejected Tiger cub of Sri Lanka's zoo dies

The rare Bengal tiger cub born in Sri Lanka's National Zoological Gardens at Dehiwala a week ago has died despite the special care taken by the zoo staff to save him after being rejected by the mother tigress.

The 900g healthy Tiger cub was born last Friday (22) at the zoo and the mother had refused to feed the cub.
The zoo officials have separated the cub and bottle-fed him with a special milk formula for cat species.

Director of the zoo Bahashwara Gunarathne told the media today the baby tiger had died despite the efforts by the zoo staff.

The Tigress has given birth to three cubs earlier and they have all died within several days as she had refused to feed them. Upon autopsy, the zoo officials had found that all the cubs had internal deformities.

An autopsy is being planned for this cub also to learn the cause of mother's rejection, the officials have said.

The cub's parents were given to the zoo in 2008 from the Xiang Jiang Park in China, under an animal exchange programme.