COIMBATORE: Officials of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) have sent a proposal to the principal chief conservator of forest and chief wildlife warden Srinivas R Reddy seeking permission to capture animals, like deer, and use them as prey for a tiger which is being maintained in an enclosure at Mandrimattam near Valparai.
The sub-adult tiger is recovering from dental surgery and is able to bite rabbit, chicken, and beef pieces, which weigh up to 6 to 7 kg per day. At this rate, the tiger may soon starve, officials fear. In the proposal, officials stated sambar deer and spotted deer, weigh up to 30 kg, and they should be released into the tiger’s enclosure. The animal would then begin to start hunting.
According to sources, the animal is active between 4 am to 7 am and hides in a cave in the enclosure if the staff visit the place to check his health. “The animal drinks 2 to 3 litres of water in a day, which is regular and all its characteristics are normal, although it was maintained in an enclosure for over a year.
S Ramasubramaniam, Conservator of Forests and ATR Field Director said, “The animal is in good health. We have also written to the central government seeking funds to set up another enclosure exclusively for herbivores nearby.”