The Forest Department has decided to rewild the tiger cub that was captured by the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) authorities from an estate near Valparai some days ago.
Chief Wildlife Warden Shekhar Kumar Niraj told The Hindu on Saturday the department planned to set up an enclosure in natural environment at Valparai where the cub can be taken care and reintroduced into the wild.
“Ideally all national parks and tiger reserves should have such facility for reintroducing lost animals into the wild. We do not have have such a facility as of now. Instructions have been given to the Field Director and Deputy Field Director of ATR to set up one such facility,” he said.
According to him, the fenced facility, a large enclosure in natural environment, will have arrangements where the cub will learn to hunt naturally. Mr. Niraj was in touch with his counterpart in Kerala to get more details of a project made for the reintroduction of a tiger cub back into the wild at the Periyar Tiger Reserve. “If required, we will seek the expertise of the Kerala Forest Department,” he said.
The male tiger cub aged around eight months was captured by ATR staff from a tea estate at Thaimudi near Valparai on the night of September 28, after it was found roaming in very weak condition outside the forest for two days.
After capture, the cub was shifted to the animal rescue centre at Rottikadai near Valparai where it is currently being taken care. It had a wound sustained from a porcupine quill and a few aberrations on body.
S. Ramasubramanian, Field Director of the ATR, said that the cub has regained health and it was active as of Saturday. “It has started eating well. The wound and aberrations it had have healed. Veterinarians, who have examined the cub, said that it is less likely to have internal wounds as it is excreting normally,” he said.
He said that the department has identified a place at Manambolly forest range to set up an in situ enclosure for the rewilding programme. The cub is currently kept in a cage at and given meat as feed. A veterinarian from Valparai is making regular visits to the animal rescue centre at Rottikadai to check its health.
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