Jaipur: Male tigers are not known to play any part in rearing their young. Many are even hostile towards their cubs. But from Ranthambore comes a tiger tale with a twist. The king of the jungle is being seen in a new role there — that of a doting father. It started with a male called T-25. The tiger was seen roaming with the two orphaned four-month-old cubs and protecting them from other tigers, panthers and hyenas after the mother T-5 died within nine to 10 days of giving birth. T-25 was also sighted confronting a tigress, T-17, to protect the two cubs. The behaviour seems to have rubbed off on other male cats. Officials have now recorded at least six more male tigers in the park which have taken on a parental role and are helping the tigresses bring up young ones. Tiger dads: Softer side or plain genetics? Jaipur: It could be an unexplored facet of male tigers or merely the natural urge to establish strong genes, but parenting is spreading among the males of Ranthambhore, says Rajesh Kumar Gupta, field director of the tiger reserve. “What is now happening in Ranthambhore shows the sheer complexity of tiger behaviour. The common belief that the tiger is solitary is contradicted by tigers at the park,” said Gupta, who has documented the behaviour of these six tigers in the current publication of Project Tiger. Asked how the behaviour could be explained, Gupta said, “It could be that the fathers are providing parental protection to prevent infanticide of their siblings and thus establish their strong genes and consolidate ‘genetic supremacy’ in the park. But one cannot say for certain. However, what has become clear is it that male tigers do display affectionate behaviour towards their young.” “In Ranthambhore national park, the T-19 female with three cubs are in the bigger home range of their presumed father T-28. The territory of T-28 has increased or varies with the movement of T-19 and her three cubs, signifying reach of parental protection by the male. On 18 March 2012, I sighted the T-19 female with two cubs. One of the cubs stood up and moved close to the male T-28 and sat beside him for affection,” writes Gupta. “On March 29, 2012 I was returning from night patrolling and was greeted by the T-8 tigress with two cubs close to the father, T-34. The cubs were seen with the tigress and the male again after a few days in the same area. It has been noticed that T-8 with her two cubs are residing within the home range of a male, T-34, in the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary.” Gupta cites other examples. “The T-26 tigress with three cubs stay in close vicinity of T-20, an old male. T-31 with two cubs are frequently visited by T-23, a male. T-30 with a litter of three cubs is being protected by T-3,” he notes. Gupta, however, added that research and observations should continue before any “definite conclusion” is drawn.