INDIA: Three rescued tiger cubs hail their first B-Day at a Zoo in India's central city of Nagpur.

Record ID: 1380946

  • Title: INDIA: Three rescued tiger cubs hail their first B-Day at a Zoo in India's central city of Nagpur.
  • Date: 23rd January 2010
  • Summary: NEW DELHI, INDIA (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (AUGUST 18, 2011) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) EXTERIORS OF THE SOUTH BLOCK PEOPLE STANDING OUTSIDE SOUTH BLOCK A BOARD READING 'MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS' PALANIAPPAN CHIDAMBARAM, INDIA'S INTERIOR (HOME) MINISTER, ALIGHTING A CAR (SOUNDBITE) (English/Hindi) RAJ KUMAR SINGH, INDIA'S INTERIOR (HOME) SECRETARY, SAYING: "Delhi police and Anna H
  • Embargoed: 7th February 2010 10:13
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Environment / Natural World,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA8QRO9HEP9B67NOSQMRQZNEF20
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Animal lovers, particularly the children converge in good numbers at the Maharajabagh Zoological Garden in India's central city of Nagpur to hail the first birthday of three tiger cubs that were rescued in wild a year ago.
    The Maharajabagh Zoo in India's central city of Nagpur celebrated the birthday of three wild tiger cubs on Saturday (January 23).
    These striped feline beauties, bubbling with energy, were rescued in the wild, a year ago.
    To hail the birthday, scores of animal lovers and other visitors, the children in particular thronged the zoo with utmost enthusiasm and participated in the celebrations.
    On being rescued from the jungles and brought to the zoo on January 23, 2009, the lively cubs were named Cherry, Jan and Lee.
    They have been nurtured with utmost care on a healthy diet of chicken soup and meat.
    A banner reading 'Happy Birthday- 3 Idiots' with no offence meant to the cubs but merely in tune with the latest Hindi movie 3 Idiots greeted the visitors at the tigers enclosure that was decorated with numerous balloons and flowers to mark the memorable occasion.
    "We had found three cubs from the jungle last year and these were rescued by the Forest Rangers and since then they have been living here. Now, they have completed one year and we are celebrating this day, as they have completed one whole year in this zoo. This is a success that we had saved three dying cubs in the wild and now they are in a healthy state. I think this is for the first time that the birthday of a wild cub is being celebrated," said Kundan Hatey, a wild life activist and saviour of the cubs.
    A special cake with the image of a poacher was cut to send across the message 'preserve the wildlife by cutting to size the clan of poachers'.
    "By celebrating the birthday of these three cubs and cutting a cake depicting a poacher, we want to convey the message that every animal has an identification and dignity of its own. So, to maintain the dignity of these animals people should stop poaching," said Dr. Baviskar, Veterinarian, Maharajabagh Zoological Gardens, Nagpur.
    The children cut the cake and rent the air with happy birthday songs and surely, the trio of Cherry, Jan and Lee enjoyed the chorus as evident from the feast of fresh and soft broiler chicken that they relished.
    The cubs appeared happy literally frolicking on the lawns of their enclosure.
    India has half the world's surviving tigers, but their populations have suffered, driven by a demand for tiger skins and bones in China for traditional medicines.
    India today has the largest number of tigers, between 3,600 to 4,000.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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