In a heart-warming gesture, a special single-coach AC train was operated from Bhopal to transport two injured tiger cubs from the Midghat section near Budhni in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore district.

The West Central Railway (WCR) operated the train on Tuesday to rescue three tiger cubs injured after they were struck by a train in the forested area in Midghat, located 70 km from Bhopal, on the intervening night of July 14-15, an official said.

One of the cubs, a nearly nine-month-old male, succumbed to injuries near the railway track, while the two others remained stranded in a drain near the rail line, the official said. Rescue efforts were hit on Monday when the mother of the cubs arrived at the spot, preventing anyone from approaching them, the official said.

The operation was halted due to darkness and resumed on Tuesday morning. A team of veterinarians and Satpuda Tiger Reserve officials successfully rescued the two female cubs.

The special train, dispatched on the directions of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, transported the severely injured cubs to Rani Kamalapati railway station in state capital Bhopal before being shifted to the Van Vihar National Park for treatment.

The hind legs of both the rescued cubs are currently non-functional due to the effects of tranquillising drugs. They are scheduled for further examination and treatment on Wednesday, once the medication effects diminish, the official said.

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