The adult tiger T23 that was captured alive by Tamil Nadu forest officials from the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve has been taken to Mysuru zoo for treatment. Named MDT-23 (Mudumalai Division Tiger 23), the tiger, who is believed to have attacked and killed four humans and 10 cattle, was captured by the forest department using a tranquillizer dart on Friday, October 15, after a 21-day hunt.
According to a report in The Hindu, the tiger had some injury marks and live wounds and is being treated for the same. The medical team has been monitoring the injured tiger. The tiger is responding to treatment and is out of sedation, officials told The Hindu.
#MDT23 reached Mysore at 4.30 a.m. The sedative had worn off, and he apparently growled/charged at the cage. He remains weak, but stable. Hope he recovers and lives out the rest of his life in comfortable captivity. Video source: TN forest dept. @THChennai pic.twitter.com/eJb92iWxVj
— Rohan Premkumar (@ThinBrownDuke26) October 16, 2021
Tiger #MDT23 rescued near #Masinagudi in #Madhumalai tiger reserve is being treated at #kurughallii Rescue Centre @Mysore_Zoo, responding well to the treatment, under observation, hopefully he may recover soon. @aranya_kfd @byadavbjp @UMESH_V_KATTI @CZA_Delhi @ntca_india @moefcc pic.twitter.com/iEgXcGI7hL
— Zoos of Karnataka (@ZKarnataka) October 16, 2021
Earlier, the feline was to be shifted to the Vandalur zoo, but after consultation with the National Tiger Commission, it was transported to Mysuru zoo.
Foresters said the tiger had allegedly mauled three persons to death besides killing around 10 cattle in the Mudumalai forest area in Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu in the past two months. Fear of tiger attacks had haunted the people of Gudalur, Masinagudi Singara and Bopara, they said.
The search for the feline was conducted by six teams from the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, aided by one team each from Kerala and Karnataka. Two Kumki elephants and three sniffer dogs were also pressed into service to catch the tiger.
It was on October 1 that the Tamil Nadu Chief Wildlife Warden issued orders to hunt T-23 after it killed four persons and around 10 livestock animals in Gudalur. The order had been issued under section 11 (1) (a) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act which states that the “Chief Wildlife Warden may if he is satisfied that any wild animal specified in Schedule I has become dangerous to human life or is so disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery, by order in writing and stating the reasons therefor, permit any person to hunt such animal or cause such animal to be hunted.” Hearing a PIL, the Madras High Court had on October 5 instructed the Government of Tamil Nadu not to kill tiger T-23 but ensure that it is captured alive.