(IN): After treatment, tiger back on the prowl

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http://thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=22 & theme= & usrsess=1 & id=261897

 

*After treatment, tiger back on the prowl*

;Statesman News Service

KOLKATA, 22 JULY: Forest authorities released a 11-year-old male tiger into

the Jhila forests at Harinbhanga near Hingalganj in North 24-Parganas today,

after it underwent treatment for four months.

The tiger had strayed into a village of Hingalganj area and killed a goat on

15 March this year. Later, it was trapped by forest department employees,

who found a wound on its right hind paw. As it was a deep injury, the forest

department had sent the tiger to the Alipore Zoo authorities for treatment.

Mr Subir Chowdhury, director of Alipore Zoo said a three-member medical team

including a vet surgeon treated the tiger at the Alipore Zoo. He said forest

department officials also planted an ear tag containing its number to

identify the tiger in future and a microchip also was set up on the tip of

its tail for later identification.

He also added that the tiger was ready for release almost two weeks ago, but

it had been kept under the observation of veterinary doctors. A forest

department official said this was the first time that a tiger was treated at

a zoo and later it was released in the mangrove forest for rehabilitation.

Earlier, tigers were treated on boats in which it would be captured and

released in the jungle.

Yesterday, the Alipore Zoo authorities handed over the tiger to the forest

department

===========================

The Times of India, Kolkata Thursday, July 23, 2009

Tiger released after four-month treatment

 

 

Monotosh Chakraborty | TNN

 

Harinbhanga (Sunderbans):

It could have been the weariness of a long journey. Or, just disbelief at

the sudden change of scenario which seemed too good to be true. The tiger,

that had been under treatment at the Alipore zoo hospital for the last four

months, seemed a trifle hesitant, almost uninterested to rush back into the

forest. Eventually, it did swim to the shore and disappear behind the bushes

of the Harinbhanga forest in the Sunderbans, creating a conservation history

of sorts. The 12-year-old male became the first to return to the mangroves

after being treated in captivity.

Unlike its predecessors that were released in the forest in the past one

year, it didn’t pace up and down the cage menacingly. Nor did it growl or

lash its tail, gnawing impatiently at the grille. When the forest department

launch carrying the tiger reached Harinbhanga after a 15-hour river cruise

across the Raimangal and Harikhali, everyone waited for a royal exit. But

the big cat disappointed the motley gathering of forest officials, guards

and journalists.

When the cage door was lifted, it lazily ambled across to the edge of the

launch and hung out its paw to test the waters, quite literally. Then, it

descended into the Harinbhanga river with a short, unadventurous jump that

hardly made a splash. The regal leap was missing. Swimming for about 10

metres to the shore, it stood on its tracks for a couple of seconds. Then,

it shook its frame, throwing off the water and muck from its flaming torso

and disappeared behind the bushes with a short run. It was over in 28

pulsating seconds.

Forest officials, however, were pleased. “This is a major breakthrough,

as no tiger has ever been rehabilitated in the Sunderbans after prolonged

treatment. The way it touched the water and gleefully bounded away into the

forest shows that it has not forgotten the wild. The tiger should not have

any problem resettling in its familiar terrain,” said Atanu Raha, principal

chief conservator of forests.

The tiger had strayed into a village in Hingalganj and was trapped on

March 13. It had a wound on its right hind leg that seemed life-threatening.

A four-month-long treatment, however, cured it and it was declared fit to

return. “We were initially a little sceptical, but vets were confident.

Hopefully, we will be able to rehabilitate injured tigers in the wild in

future,” said Subrat Mukherjee, field director, Sunderban Tiger Reserve.

 

 

 

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