MUMBAI: A 9-year-old tiger at Borivli national park was recently operated upon for a
tumour on the lip. The surgery to remove the benign growth involved the first-ever application of gaseous anaesthesia on a wild animal at
Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
The tumor was spotted on the left side of
Yash's lower lip over a month ago. Anwar Ahmed, chief conservator of forests,
SGNP, confirmed that the tiger underwent a surgery recently. "He is doing well now," Ahmed told TOI.
Dr Shailesh Pethe, veterinarian at SGNP, said a biopsy had shown the growth was benign. "It was removed during a surgery on August 13. The tumour was 2.5 inches long, 2 inches in width and weighed between 120 and 150 gm," said Dr Pethe.
The tumour, known as granuloma, is non-malignant, said Dr Chandrakant Wakankar, professor at Bombay Veterinary College. "Medical reports show no recurrence is likely," he said.
The unique part of the surgery is that Yash was administered gaseous anaesthesia instead of the usual injectable anaesthesia. Dr Wakankar said gaseous anaesthesia is safer. "It has a lesser chance of complications and is therefore safer," said Dr Wakankar.
Dr Pethe said it is common to use this anaesthesia on humans. "But it is the latest technique for wild animals," he said. "In fact, it is the first time it was used on a wild animal at SGNP."
The national park now has seven tigers, three of them males, said range forest officer Sanjay Waghmode.
Yash has now been rid of the tumour