Pink or blue? Everyone is still playing a guessing game when it comes to the sex of the offspring of the fiery Royal Bengal Tiger couple at Tata Steel Zoological Park, Jamshedpur.

Shanti (12), who gave birth to a cub on November 28, after a torrid blow-hot, blow-cold relationship with much younger mate Raghav (6), has not let zoo officials come close to her precious bundle of joy even once.

Forget a formal health check-up, the overprotective mother is not even letting authorities find out the sex of the cub.

The cub — the first such to be born on the zoo premises in this millennium — remains a fluffy and striped ball nestling close to its doting mother.

Shanti, who was in the habit of taking frequent strolls within her enclosure in her carefree, pre-motherhood days, is now reluctant to even get up.

“We are yet to identify the sex of the cub as Shanti simply doesn’t allow anyone to come near the cage,” zoo vet Manik Palit said.

Her obsession with her firstborn may be the result of her previous two miscarriages, informed the zoo vet.

“Though female tigers become obsessive after delivery, Shanti’s case is slightly different. At this mature age, she’s experienced motherhood for the first time, and that too after previous miscarriages. She’s more sensitive. It is difficult to make predictions about her mood swings,” Palit said.

According to experts, the power of sniffing among big cats is very strong. If Shanti’s twitching nose senses an intruder (read vet or caretaker), she reacts with warning roars, firmly telling the person to back off.

“We will wait till Shanti mellows down,” the vet said.

First-time dad Raghav, meanwhile, is least bothered. He probably doesn’t understand what the big fuss is all about, though he was quite assiduous in wooing his lady fair during the courtship days.

Zoo authorities have also tried spying on the cub from afar, but that serves no purpose. Medically examining the cub when Shanti is out of her cage is dicey business, as she is seen making a dash for her cub if anyone ventures near the enclosure.

“She (Shanti) dashes right back into her cage,” a caretaker said.

“Our only solace is that both the tigress and her cub are in sound health. Sex identification will take place in due course,” Palit said.

Shanti came close to Raghav only after her mother, Shyamali — known to be quite a tartar and completely against the male tiger for reasons never known — died of renal failure this February at age 18.

“In fact, we were quite in the dark about Shanti’s pregnancy. It was only after some days that we were able to establish that she had conceived,” Palit recalled.