MYSURU: Two of the three tiger cubs, which were deserted by their mother and later rescued and shifted to Shree Chamundeshwari Wild Animals Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Mysuru, have died.The sole surviving cub has been shifted to Bannerughatta Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, located in the Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru, for care and protection. Sunil Panwar, member-secretary of the Zoo Authority of Karnataka, said that a male and a female cub died while another female cub survived.These cubs were found near Punajanuru-Bedaguli road inside BRT Tiger Reserve on Oct 13. As per the National Tiger Conservation Authority guidelines, they were shifted to the rescue and rehabilitation centre, which is attached to the Mysuru zoo and located at Koorgalli on the outskirts of Mysuru.The forest department has worked towards uniting them with their mother. However, the mother did not come to take them away. "As they were deprived of their mother's milk, these tiger cubs were weak and vulnerable to infections," explained sources in the forest department. "The surviving female cub is monitored round-the-clock and under medical supervision and care at the Bannerughatta facility," added the sources."They were deserted by their mother within a couple of days after giving birth. They were deprived of colostrum," they explained.Rescued tigress shifted to Koorgalli facilityMeanwhile, the tigress, which was rescued from Anjanapura village in Nanjangud taluk on Tuesday evening, was also shifted to the Koorgalli facility. It is believed to be 9-years-old.Conservationists urged the forest department to release this tigress back to the forest as it is healthy and active. Former member of the State Wildlife Board, Joseph Hoover, stated that as this tigress is healthy, it must be released back to the forest instead of being detained in the rescue centre. "Instead of the forest area from where it was captured, this tigress can be released into any other forest area. NTCA rules favour the release of the big cats back into the forest," he said.This comes amidst the forest department continuing combing operations in Mullur in Saraguru taluk, where a big cat killed a farmer late last week.