Normally, two to four cubs are born after a gestation period of about 113 days. On rare occasions a tigress may produce as many as six cubs, but the chances of all surviving are slim. A newborn cub weighs 800-1,500 gms. It is 31-40 cm from head to tail. Its eyes usually open by the tenth day.
Milk teeth appear after two weeks.
During its first eight weeks, the cubs drink their mother's milk though the tigress continues to feed them on meat for five to six months. The mother usually brings up the cubs single-handedly. The father takes no responsibility in the rearing of the young ones. When the cubs are two months old, the mother brings them out of the den. The cubs are playful, adventurous, and curious about the world around them.