Hurt tiger convalesces in city zoo

Express news service
Posted online: Sunday , February 24, 2008 at 02:09:49
Updated: Sunday , February 24, 2008 at 02:29:18

Kolkata, February 23 An injured eight feet-long tiger, which was found by forest officials in the Sunderbans, has been brought to the Alipore Zoo for treatment.
Ruling out that poachers could have inflicted the injury to the big cat, forest officials say that the nature of injury in the hind leg suggests of a crocodile or a shark bite.

“Let us conjure up a situation where the tiger has injured himself in a trap laid by poachers. In that case, his fore limbs would have been caught in the trap door and not his hind leg,” said DFO Subhendu Banerjee.

In case the perception about the tiger being bitten by a crocodile or a shark turns out to be true, it will be a first of its kind as never before has such an incident been reported from the delta region.

“Such cases are rare and mostly reported from other states. We do not have any official record of such an incident in West Bengal,” said Banerjee.

Meanwhile, the vets treating the tiger said that the big cat is responding to the medication that includes a dose of fluids, antibiotics, painkillers and antacids.

“We are continuously monitoring his health. The spread of the infection has been controlled. There is a raw wound in his hind leg where the bone has been exposed. Had treatment been delayed, it could have resulted in septicemia. There is no such fear now. But we will like to observe him for a few more days before we infer anything,” said Dr Swapan Ghosh, a senior veterinary doctor at the zoo.

The beast was brought here late on Friday evening and was served one kilogram of pork today.

The authorities are also undecided if the tiger would be released in the Sunderbans since it has lost a part of its limb.

“They learn to adapt and survive. But we will have to nurse him back to health first before taking any decision,” said most of the forest officials.

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