Cuban national zoo reports birth of four Bengal tiger cubs, including rare white tiger, amid energy shortages

Havana’s Cuban National Zoo said four Bengal tiger cubs have been born, including a rare white tiger cub, in an event that zoo staff described as a rare bright spot amid rolling energy outages and shortages of fuel and medicines. Zoo worker Ángel Cordero, who has worked at the facility for 44 years, described the cubs’ arrival as a “small miracle” after days-long power disruptions and other constraints affected the day-to-day operations of animal enclosures and feeding schedules.

Cordero said the birth was only the second time white tigers had been born in Cuba, and he credited the staff’s persistent work to the cubs’ survival during difficult conditions. He said he was present for the birth, adding that the heat and strain of coping with repeated shortages have become routine for staff charged with maintaining habitats for the zoo’s wide range of animals.

The zoo’s operations are tied closely to access to fuel. Reuters reported that workers require about 20 liters of diesel fuel per day to distribute food across enclosures that include animals such as buffalo, zebras, rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses, while the zoo receives only about five liters daily. In practice, that shortfall is forcing staff to adjust routines for feeding and maintenance, and to rely on alternative transport methods within the grounds.

The zoo’s leadership has linked the current pressure on operations to Cuba’s energy crisis following a U.S. oil blockade, according to Reuters. Zoo director Juan Carlos Santos told Reuters that animal numbers have remained stable despite the conditions, attributing that stability to staff efforts and to new partnerships with small private businesses that have helped supply food and other materials needed for daily care.

With limited fuel available for vehicles, workers at the 375-hectare (926-acre) site have resorted to horse and buggy and electric tricycles for moving between distant parts of the zoo. Cordero told Reuters that fuel affects not only the animals’ movements and enclosure access, but also how food distribution is carried out across the facility.

The appearance of the Bengal tiger cubs also brings immediate husbandry needs, as the animals require ongoing care, secure temperatures, and consistent feeding routines during early life stages. While the zoo has said its animal population remains stable, Reuters reported that staff are still operating under constrained conditions that have reduced operating capacity for powering systems and transporting supplies.

The Guardian reported that the cubs’ birth has revitalized the zoo team under what it described as an island-wide crisis marked by fuel shortages and frequent power outages. Both reports placed the birth in a context of broader operational strain at Cuba’s national zoo, where animal care depends on energy supplies and where constraints are reshaping how staff move, feed and maintain enclosures.

Neither report provided details on the cubs’ exact ages beyond the recent birth, nor did they specify veterinary metrics or whether the cubs will be displayed publicly soon. For now, zoo staff said they are focused on daily survival and stabilization of the animals through continued rationed fuel access and supplemental supplies from outside partners.