NEW DELHI: A five-year-old white tigress in the Delhi zoo underwent a month-long dental treatment after she stopped eating due to swelling in the lower gum.
On finding that the tigress, Sita, was under stress and had stopped her feed intake, Delhi zoo officials in May first week conducted a preliminary examination which revealed swelling in the lower gum close to the lower left canine.
It was causing the tigress immense pain and discomfort, requiring immediate medical intervention to help alleviate pain, non-profit Wildlife SOS, which assisted in the dental procedure said in a statement.
The officials consulted experts from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly to carry out radiography and biopsy for proper diagnosis.
A Wildlife SOS veterinary team transported a digital X-ray machine and a dental X-ray machine all the way from Agra to New Delhi for the procedure, the statement said. “As the lockdown prevented normal vehicular movement, zoo director Suneesh Buxy sent a vehicle with an officer from the zoo to Agra to bring the Wildlife SOS veterinary team and the equipment,” it said.
‘Ghariyal died due to laxity’
The recent death of a female Ghariyal at the National Zoological Park has sparked a controversy, leaving five zoo officials suspended. The death occurred “due to negligence”, an internal enquiry report said. The internal panel found five officials guilty of the death of the animal.
(With agency inputs)