Rare Bengal Tiger Raising Triplets in Thai National Park

In a rare and heartwarming discovery, a national park in Thailand has confirmed that a Bengal tiger is raising three cubs within its protected area. This marks the first time such a large litter has been recorded in the park's history.

The cubs were initially spotted with their mother on a camera trap last year. However, further footage retrieved this week from cameras damaged by heavy rain revealed the presence of three cubs instead of one.

"This is the first time we have recorded a tiger raising three cubs in the national park," said Mongkol Chaipakdee, chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park. "We were only able to recover the footage this week because our camera was damaged due to rain last year."

The camera trap footage shows the three cubs playfully scampering in a forest while their mother keeps a watchful eye. The video, captured in July, was recently shared on the national park's Facebook page.

"Based on the timeline, we estimate the cubs are now about six months old," Mongkol added.

The park has launched a contest to name the three cubs, offering prizes to the individuals who submit the winning entries.

The presence of these cubs is a significant boost to the Bengal tiger population in Thailand, which is estimated to be one of the few remaining breeding populations in the world. Bengal tigers are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) red list of threatened species due to hunting and wildlife trafficking.

Conservation efforts have led to an increase in Bengal tiger populations in India and Nepal in recent years. This latest discovery in Thailand offers further hope for the survival of this majestic species.