Leaping tigress pines for partner

November 9, 2005

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- Love across boundaries

Talk about desperate housewives, rather… desperate tigresses!

Two courtyards, a moat and high fences proved cub-play for the

lovelorn Jamuna to reach her feline lover, Karna.

Just 72 hours after forest minister Jogesh Burman inaugurated the

first tiger rescue centre at South Khayerbari in the Alipurduar

subdivision, a tigress put the forest officials in a spot this

morning, thanks to her amorous escapade.

There are five units at the rescue centre, each comprising three

night-cells with an open courtyard in the front. Three tigers Shyam,

Karna and Raju, and two tigresses Jamuna and Laxmi — rescued from

circuses — were shifted to the cells on Friday. The animals,

however, are not allowed to live together. The " insensitive "

decision follows the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) guidelines that

prohibit mating among circus animals, so that any genetic imbalance

in the adults is not transported to the cubs.

Last night, Jamuna preferred to stay out. She had better plans.

Around 5 this morning, she was spotted in the male courtyard. But

much to the comfort of the staff at the centre, the tigers were

inside their cells. Jamuna had swam across the moat of her cell,

jumped over the fence, again taken a dive into the moat of the male

unit and finally crossed over to her lover. She headed straight for

Karna, who was locked from inside. All she could do was nuzzle

against him through the bars. Forest officers including, Jalpaiguri

conservator of forests (wildlife) north P.T. Bhutia and Cooch Behar

DFO Manindra Biswas reached the centre with forest staff. They put

Karna in a squeeze cage and took him out of his cell. Jamuna was

also put in a cage and taken to her cell. " Till further advice from

the CZA, we will not let the tigers out in the courtyard, " Bhutia

said.

ANIRBAN CHOUDHURY IN ALIPURDUAR

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