KATHMANDU: Shuklaphanta National Park officials have provided detailed clarification regarding a tiger cub found dead in December 2025, following widespread media coverage and social media speculation.

The cub, estimated to be around two months old, was first spotted on December 31 along the Jogbudha River in Shree Gauri Shankar Community Forest, Ward No. 1, Dodhara Chandani Municipality, Kanchanpur. A joint team including park veterinarians, Nepal Army personnel, and technical staff from the National Nature Conservation Fund (Shuklaphanta Conservation Program) immediately reached the site.

Officials noted that the mother tiger was present in the surrounding area. Considering wildlife rescue protocols and the risk that human interference could prevent the mother from accepting the cub, the technical team decided not to move the cub immediately. The area was kept under strict park supervision, and local residents were asked to vacate the site.

Later that evening, around 8:30 PM, the team found the cub deceased. The cub was transported to the park’s main office in Majhgaun, and a post-mortem examination was conducted by park veterinarians and technical staff. Samples were collected and sent to the Wildlife Laboratory of the National Nature Conservation Fund in Sauraha, Chitwan, for further analysis. The post-mortem report is still pending.

The park office also addressed misleading reports circulating in the media and on social media, emphasizing that all actions followed the Wildlife Rescue in Nepal: A Field Guide for Veterinarians and Wildlife Technicians 2025 and standard wildlife rescue protocols. “Shuklaphanta National Park remains alert, sensitive, and committed to all wildlife rescue operations,” the press release stated.

This clarification comes after public concern and speculation regarding the circumstances of the cub’s death, underscoring the challenges of wildlife rescue in areas where human and animal activity intersect.