Injured Orissa tigress struggles for survival

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Injured Orissa tigress struggles for survival

Agencies

Tuesday, April 03, 2007 22:16 IST

 

BHUBANESWAR: An adult tigress rescued in a critical condition from a

forest in Orissa by local wildlife officials three days back is still

fighting for survival.

 

Local villagers spotted the tigress in the Pampasar range of the

Satkoshia wildlife sanctuary in the district of Angul on Saturday. The

tigress (6-8 years old) was lying near a small water body, a senior

state wildlife official said Tuesday.

 

The villagers informed the local forest officials. A team of forest

and veterinary officials rushed to the spot and brought the wounded

tigress, who had been shot, to the Nandankanan zoo near Bhubaneswar

after sedating the animal, he said.

 

On Monday, specialists from the Orissa Veterinary College (OVC) under

the Orissa University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT) here examined

the tigress, director Nandankanan zoo AK Patnaik told IANS.

 

Experts observed that there were seven pellet injuries on the

tigress's hind legs and two pellet injuries on both sides of the

shoulder near the neck. The wounds were dressed and x-rayed and

ultrasound was carried out to make an assessment of the position of

pellets if any, lodged inside the body, he said.

 

The animal was also provided with antibiotics and other drugs. In

addition, to maintain body fluids, intravenous drip was given. After

medical intervention, the animal was better, said Patnaik.

 

The main concern is that the hind legs are not moving due to pellet

injuries. The animal would be given antibiotics for the next five days

and kept under observation by the senior OVC surgeons, he said. " She

is under our observation, " said Indramani Nath, head of surgery OUAT.

" She is responding to treatment and we hope she will get well soon. "

 

The tigress sustained injuries after suspected poachers fired on her,

wildlife officials here said, adding that the poachers must have been

inexperienced which helped the animal to escape. " The people who fired

at the tigress were not tiger poachers as instead of firing bullets,

they fired pellets at her, " the officials added.

 

However, an eminent state wildlife expert holds the state government

and the forest and wildlife department responsible for indiscriminate

poaching of wild animals, particularly in the protected areas. The

expert said that more than 60 percent of the field staff of the state

forest department has become old and lost the stamina to face criminals.