Tiger cubs are born completely blind, deaf, & helpless. They weigh < 1.6 kg at birth, less than 1% of the mother's body weight.
This is a deliberate reproductive strategy.
Unlike deer fawns, which can run within hours of birth, the tigress conserves energy by not gestating large cubs.
A small cub requires a relatively short gestation period of around 100 days, allowing the tigress to remain agile & hunt effectively even during pregnancy.
The tigress's tongue is covered in sharp, backwards-facing papillae, the same structures that scrape the tiniest meat from bones.
Yet when grooming her cubs, she uses it with remarkable delicacy.
When a tigress licks her newborn cub, she activates its digestive system, stimulates blood circulation, & triggers vital physiological functions including bowel movement & urination.
It is her touch that jumpstarts the cub's body into functioning.
Newborn tiger so small it gets swooped by mama's tongue 😛