CHENNAI: A 15-month-old tiger cub, which has been living in a cage for nearly nine months after it was rescued near Valparai, will be released into a larger enclosure on Thursday. The specially built enclosure is in the core area of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR).
According to sources, Chief Wildlife Warden Syed Muzammil Abbas is likely to issue the release order on Wednesday and preparation is underway for the release. The work on the 10,000-sq ft enclosure in Manthirimattam in Manambolly forest range in ATR got completed more than a month ago, but officials of the forest department took time to fully assess the health of the cub before coming to a conclusion.
Now, the ATR officials and veterinarians have certified it fit for the release into the larger enclosure. The vets had noticed a huge crack in a canine tooth. However, medical examination and general observations showed no signs of puss formation or pain and the tiger was eating normally. This encouraged the forest department to move ahead with the release.
Additional Chief Secretary Supriya Sahu did not confirm Thursday’s release date, but said it would be tentatively around that time. TNIE had visited the Manambolly forest range inspection bungalow, where the tiger is currently housed in a small cage. The local staff said the animal’s weight had increased from 80 kg to 120 kg, adding it was healthy. The tiger is being fed 7 kg of meat daily, in two servings consisting of beef, chicken and rabbit.
The new enclosure, besides being spacious, has a cave, watering hole and multi-layer fencing for safety. A wooden watch tower has been built and the enclosure is fitted with CCTV cameras for round-the-clock monitoring.