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| T25 is a male tiger that defies a number of stereotypes and has taken the role of the doting father of two orphan cubs.
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T25 seems like the name of a robot. But, in Rajasthan`s Ranthambore national park, the label evokes rare affection. T25 is a male tiger that defies a number of stereotypes and has taken the role of the doting father of two orphan cubs. When the relationship was recorded last year, it made the headlines across the subcontinent because it is extremely rare for a male tiger to show such tendencies. More often than not, cubs are killed by tigers to eliminate future competition.
When Rishit Shroff, a wildlife enthusiast from Gujarat, visited Ranthambore recently, he could not believe his luck when he came face-to-face with the famous trio. "I believe it was in Sector III of the national park where we chanced upon the tiger and the cubs enjoying a siesta," Shroff said. "While the cubs were agile, the tiger did not move much. We later heard the history of the trio from wildlife experts. It was half-an-hour of pure adrenalin rush."
According to Rajasthan forest department officials, the story began in February 2011 when a tigress codenamed T5 died of septicaemia near her tail. At that time, she had two cubs aged around four months. The cubs disappeared after the demise of their mother. Forest guards started putting plates of goat meat in Kachida Valley, a hilly area in the forest, and deployed trap cameras - which get activated when a thread attached to them is disturbed. To their delight, forest officials found the cubs healthy and taking meat willingly.
"A debate started then about the future of the cubs," said a forest official. "Clearly, they were too young to fend for themselves and could easily fall prey to another tiger or wild animals. In May 2011, to our astonishment, we saw a tiger - later identified as T25 - accompanying the cubs in camera captures. First, we feared that the tiger might kill the cubs as is the general tendency. But later we realized that the tiger was actually protecting the little cats from danger and had even started taking them around on wild trails."
M D Parashar, a renowned wildlife photographer and tiger lover from Ranthambore, told TOI that the story caught the fancy of wildlife enthusiasts across the country. "It is unheard of for a male tiger to take cubs under its wing," he said. "We have seen a complete group with male and female tigers and cubs, but never a lone male with cubs. On observation, it was also found that T25 had reduced its territory to protect cubs from fatigue. Male tigers never set their eyes on cubs they father." Parashar said it was all the more astonishing that the cubs are now more than a year old. "It would be interesting to see what happens when the cubs turn two, the age at which they will start living independently," he said.
Very vulnerable when young
Born blind, tiger cubs are completely dependent on their mother for the first few days. Their eyes open when they are between six and 12 days old. However, they don`t have full vision for another couple of weeks. When they are eight to 10 months old, the cubs begin hunting with their mother, who teaches them how to find prey and protect themselves. The mother accompanies the cubs till they reach the age of two.
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