Sariska tigress ST‑17 welcomes three cubs, tiger count reaches 53

A tigress identified as ST‑17 has given birth to three healthy cubs in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, raising the total number of tigers in the protected area to 53 , forest officials said on Thursday. The cubs were first captured with their mother on camera trap photographs and videos in the Akbarpur range of the 1,200‑sq‑km reserve, and initial observations suggest the family is in normal health and exhibiting typical movement .

This is ST‑17’s second successful breeding , forest authorities noted, and teams have been directed to maintain continuous monitoring to safeguard the tigress and her young cubs as they begin exploring their surroundings.

Rajasthan’s Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma welcomed the development as a major milestone for wildlife conservation in the state , saying the growing tiger family in Sariska reflects the success of long‑term conservation efforts . He highlighted the government’s ongoing commitment to forest and wildlife protection as part of broader ecological priorities.

Wildlife experts said the births are an important indicator of habitat quality and species recovery in Sariska, which had lost its entire tiger population to poaching by the mid‑2000s. In 2008, authorities launched a landmark tiger relocation programme , bringing animals from Ranthambore National Park to Sariska a project widely regarded as one of the first of its kind in the world and credited with laying the foundation for the reserve’s recovery.

Officials said the increase in tiger numbers has been supported by sustained habitat management , intensive patrolling , augmentation of prey species , camera trap monitoring , and the relocation of villages from core areas to create more undisturbed space for wildlife. The reserve’s growing population of tigers is now part of a broader national conservation picture, supported by monitoring and policy efforts under the National Tiger Conservation Authority .

The births also come amid a series of other positive tiger‑related developments in the region , including ongoing efforts to strengthen corridors and genetic diversity through inter‑reserve cooperation. For example, states have recently undertaken inter‑state tiger relocations , such as moving a tigress from Madhya Pradesh’s Pench Tiger Reserve to Rajasthan’s Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve , aimed at enhancing genetic diversity and long‑term survival prospects.

Forestry officials reaffirmed that camera traps will continue to be an essential tool for tracking the growing family, and that patrol teams are working around the clock in the Akbarpur range to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the cubs in their crucial early weeks and months.