CHENNAI: As the two-year-old tigress, who went missing from its enclosure of the Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur here, remained elusive, a zookeeper said the wildcat animal would struggle to survive in the open. “Although, it has been provided space to roam in the zoo, it still is a semi-tamed animal which answers to our call of feeding. It wouldn’t be able to survive,” the zookeeper said on condition of anonymity.
The tigress, two-year-old Nethra, could have made its way out of the enclosure through a collapsed wall but officials maintain the animal could not have strayed afar. Residents from the adjoining locality said they had been warned by zoo authorities. “They have told us to keep our cattle safe. But, we are not afraid. We are used to snakes and wild animals creeping into our homes,” said G Vimala, a shepherd. If the tiger has not been spotted within the confines of the enclosure, chances are that the animal slipped into the dense thicket dotting the moat, and could even find its way to the hilly areas nearby, behind which there are residential spaces.
While zoo authorities claimed to have put up temporary chain-link fences immediately, Express found that the work on erecting a 9-feet-high fence was still in progress on Saturday afternoon. The collapsed wall was built in 1981 and according to sources had weakened over the years. Zoo officials said the damaged portion may take up to two months to repair. They have planned a total renovation of the enclosure wall that encompasses an area of five hectares.