Trapped Tiger Quarantined At ARC In Visakhapatnam

VISAKHAPATNAM: The three-year-old tiger that was sedated at Kurmapuram village in East Godavari district was shifted to the Animal Rescue Centre (ARC) in Visakhapatnam near the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park on Saturday morning, escorted by veterinary doctors and forest personnel.

The centre is currently vacant following the death of the lioness Bigo last month. The tiger, which strayed from the Tadoba–Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, had evaded capture for the last 17 days.

“The tiger strayed away from other cubs in Tadoba, entered Telangana and from there moved into Andhra Pradesh,” said chief conservator of forests Mohammad Diwan Mydeen.

He said the animal was found to be healthy and had been kept away from human contact as it was raised in the wild. Only two personnel are allowed near the enclosure — one to provide food and the other to clean the cage and collect faecal matter.

The faecal samples are being collected for laboratory tests to identify any bacterial infection, as the tiger had largely remained in the wild during its movement.

The conservator said the animal was currently being given electrolytes as it was exhausted after being on the run for several days.

Asked about the future course of action, he said that as per guidelines, the tiger should be released back into the wild since it originated from a natural habitat.

A high-level committee comprising experts would be formed to decide on the release of the animal. The guidelines include assessing the tiger’s health, conducting health screenings such as vaccination and parasite tests, fitting a radio collar for post-release monitoring, and selecting a suitable habitat with adequate prey base and away from human settlements.

Years ago, a panther that had strayed into Visakhapatnam city and was later trapped was released into the Chintapalli forests, which now fall under ASR district.