by Heartwarming Photo of Tigress With Her Five Cubs Is a Victory for Animal Conservationists
One viral photo of a tigress and her cubs is a beacon of hope for animal conservationists. The image—taken by Siddharth Singh, who leads sᴀꜰᴀʀɪs through the Dudhwa National Park in India—spread quickly once it was shared on Twitter by Parveen Kaswan. Kaswan works for the Indian Forest Service and is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, so he was especially pleased by what he saw in the photograph.
Social media is now passing around a photo of a tigress and her five cubs walking through the forest. Parveen Kaswan, a worker for the Indian Forest Reserve shared the image. He is also a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The species has been in ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ in recent years. This tigress was spotted with five cubs, which is two more cubs than an average litter. Kaswan shared the picture on Twitter and then wrote: “This is a magical picture. Count the cubs with a tigress. I know for a reason how few people will be elated after seeing this. Efforts are helping in making this species bounce back from the verge of ᴇxᴛɪɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴ. PC Siddharth Singh. Magical Terai.”
To ensure the cubs’ safety, their exact location is not being disclosed and the route passing through the sanctuary has been closed to the public for the next six months. This will give the cubs a chance to grow and thrive without being ᴅɪsᴛᴜʀʙᴇᴅ. The family will also be monitored using camera ᴛʀᴀᴘs. Dudhwa reserve field manager Sanjay Pathak emphasized the importance of ɪsᴏʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ at this time in the cubs’ development, as tigresses typically stay secluded to keep their cubs safe from male tigers other than the father, as well as ᴘᴏᴀᴄʜᴇʀs. By giving them space they need, the reserve is letting nature take its course.
Part of the success is due to government initiatives that include a ban on ʜᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ and more focus on education and awareness in villages around the country. They’ve also invested heavily in hiring additional forest guards in order to make their reserves more secure. And now, with a single image, the world can see that their efforts are paying off.
