Conservationists celebrate after using trail camera to piece together tiger cub mystery: 'This is a successful case'

When two tiger cubs were spotted alone in a bush in late April, conservationists were concerned. But there was still a happy ending. 

According to the Miami Herald, an anti-poaching team discovered the cubs in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam, India, prompting a call to forest ranger Nayan Jyoti Gogoi.

🐯 A heartwarming first: A tigress in Kaziranga National Park was captured on camera reuniting with her lost cub, marking a milestone in wildlife conservation.https://t.co/eOvg4yI5fq

— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) May 12, 2025

Gogoi and his team made the trip to the baby tigers to ensure their safety and see if they would need to be bottle fed. While their mother had not been seen, the team was extra cautious because tigers are known to be protective of their cubs. 

The team only found one cub when they arrived at the site and were unable to locate the other one or any footprints due to the "dense ground cover," according to Gogoi's report.

They did find a cow carcass, and wildlife veterinarian Dr. Panjit Basumatary confirmed the tigress likely stockpiled food before giving birth, given that this is a common behavior. 

Dr. Basumatary also believed that the mother had taken one of the cubs to a new location and would be back for the other one. 

The team set up three trail cameras and security around the area to stop human interference. If the mother had not returned for her cub by May 2, it would need to be bottle fed.

The team was hopeful upon their return to the site. The second cub was gone, and they found some footprints indicating the tigress had returned.

The cameras confirmed it. It caught footage of the mom with her cub in her mouth. 

The reunion was "a successful example of field-based conservation, teamwork, and scientifically guided wildlife management," according to Field Director Dr. Sonali Ghosh.  

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"This is a successful case of a tigress coming back to retrieve her cub and reunite, which is certainly the first such documented case in the northeast, if not in the country," Dr. Basumatary told The Assam Tribune. 

The efforts of this team demonstrate the vital role that trail cameras can play. It not only showed evidence of something that had never happened before, but it also ensured the safety of the cubs without direct human interference.

"Sadly, tigers are on the brink of extinction," the World Wildlife Fund observed. There are only about 5,600 left, compared to their numbers a century ago, when there were 100,000.

Tigers' vulnerability adds an extra layer of importance to this work, and donating to relevant conservation causes can offer much-needed support.

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