A white Bengal tiger, also known as the bleached tiger in the Nantong National Forest Safari Park, Jiangsu Province

There has been an absence of tigers in Bangladesh's Chattogram zoo of late, with Chandra and Purnima having passed away in 2006 and 2012 respectively.

In December 2016, however, two Royal Bengal tigers, Raj and Pori, were brought to the zoo from South Africa.

The zoo, which is located in Bangladesh's seaport city Chattogram, about 242 kilometers southeast of the capital Dhaka, has since been blessed with four baby white tiger cubs.

The tiger cubs were born in July 2022 to the Royal Bengal tiger pair Raj and Pori.

In 2018, Pori gave birth to Shubhra, the first ever white tiger in Bangladesh.

Dr Shahadat Hossain Shubo, deputy curator of the zoo told media that the cubs, at present, are both nursing on and living with their mother. 

After a week's time, the respective genders of these white tiger cubs can then be determined. 

As one of the rarest species of tiger, the white tiger has typical black stripes across a white or near-white coat. Their unique white fur has made them popular zoo attractions worldwide.

Officials said the birth of the white cubs was a blessing for the zoo as well as for local and foreign visitors.

The cubs, the second litter since the tiger couple was brought to the zoo, were named Padma, Meghna, Sangu, and Halda. They are all in perfect health.

Zoo authorities said they are committed to taking good care of them and attending to their needs.

The zoo's staff had already made all necessary preparations to give the zoo a facelift as well, amid a rush of visitors.

With Raj, Pori, and their pride including the white cubs, the zoo has seen a revival and is attracting more tourists and animal lovers.

"I saw four white tiger cubs here and I really liked them," Alicha, a visitor to the zoo, told Xinhua, adding that she thought they were "cute."

She said she came to the zoo with her family mainly to see the white tiger cubs.

Many visitors are now routinely seen walking around the enclosure of the tiger cubs, as these little cubs play around with their mother.

Following that, four more preciouse white tiger cubs were born in 2022, he added.

"Including these four white tigher cubs, we have a total of five white tigers in the zoo. All five white tigers are in good health," said Shubo.

"In our breeding program here, we monitor the tigers separately from birth and when we know that they are in prime condition for mating,"explained Shubo.

 "We mate them and then keep the female tiger in separate enclosure."

"Then we can monitor the mother tiger's pregnancy and be ready for when she gives birth," he said.

"Only one white tiger is born for every 10,000, so now many people are coming to see the white tigers," he added.

"The white tiger cubs are beautiful. Naturally, we watch them closely, so that they don't get into any kind of trouble," said Shubo.

Shubo emphasized that they monitor them closely so that people do not disturb them, ensure that they receive proper nutrition, and remain healthy.

"When the COVID-19 [global] pandemic fully eases and tourism returns to normal in the world, we will invite tourists from all over the world, including China, to come and visit the zoo," said the zoo official.

The Chattogram zoo has always been a good tourist attraction in Bangladesh. 

It is the only privately run zoo in the country that initially hosted five different species and a total of 23 animals. Yet, this number saw a huge increase in recent years. By 2019, the total number of animals hosted at the Chattogram zoo had reached 300. 

Aside from the treasurable white tiger species, the Chattogram zoo also has another 25 types of mammals such as the sambar deer, Bengal tiger, and Leopard cat. 

For visitors who are keen to see reptiles or birds, the zoo boasts of species such as the marsh crocodile, black softshell turtle, common ostrich, and peacock. 

Bangladesh is a country rich in animal wildlife. 

The Bangladesh National Zoo, which is the country's most prestigious zoo in Dhaka, also has over 2,000 animals. The world's largest feline carnivore, also known as the Bengal tiger, can be found at the zoo. 

The Royal Bengal tiger has been the national animal of Bangladesh since 1971. 

Xinhua

Visitors at the Bangladesh National Zoo