Kerala Forest Staffers Become Foster Parents To Tiger Cub Rejected By Its Mom

When two forest guards found the tiger cub they now call Mangala, she was weak, hungry, scared and paralysed in both hind legs. Her mother had rejected her and the chances of survival were next to nothing, as per a report in The New Indian Express. The guards found her while on a routine patrol and then nursed her back to health.

Slowly learning to live

Two months on, she is learning how to live as a vet keeps a close eye along with two forest staffers at Periyar National Park in Thekkady, Kerala. They have become her foster parents.

Spotted in November last year

On November 22, a forest patrol team spotted her crying for help near Mangaladevi temple at Thekkady in Idukki district. Her mom rejected her and she was very feeble when they rescued her. It's not unusual as among tigers, mothers abandon cubs that are disabled as they have no chance of survival in the wild.

Mangala had a poor eyesight

Mangala had a poor vision too so her chances were not that great. Periyar East division forest deputy director Sunil Babu was the one who gave her a chance to live. 3 vets and 2 forest guards were roped in. The vets Syama, Sibi, and Nisha gave the cub physiotherapy, named her Mangala and also nursed her to health with food supplements to gain strength.

EPS

She now weighs 7.5 kilos and is able to move using her hind legs.

"We want to groom the cub in a wild atmosphere and help her adapt to the wild. We are keeping her away from humans and only the doctor and two guards are attending her.

First time rescued tiger cub is being groomed

This is the first time in India, a tiger cub rescued from the wild is being treated and groomed. Now she is kept in a shelter where only authorised persons are allowed. In the next phase we will be releasing her into a protected enclosure where she will be trained to hunt," said Sunil Babu.

"We are giving her daily exercise to rejuvenate her legs. A small pool has been set up to help her learn swimming. She has blurred vision and needs surgery. We check her weight on a daily basis and eyesight every two days. We have provided her a tiger toy and she plays with it. She is now four months old and we provide her chicken, beef, and protein supplements twice a day. For fibre diet we give carrot. Once she completes six months we will have to shift her into an enclosure," said Dr. Anurag, the vet now in charge of the cub.

TOI

"It is common for the wild animals to reject the disabled cubs as they will not be able to survive. Now she has gained strength and we are grooming the cub with minimal human intervention to help her understand the wild. If she gets close to humans she will tend to live near human habitations after release and it will lead to conflict. The training is being provided as per the guidelines of the National Tiger Foundation," said Range officer Akhil Babu.

She will the first to learn hunting in an enclosure. When she is returned to the wild, a radio collar will be attached to monitor her movements and progress.

From being as good as dead to regaining full strength, Mangala has beaten the odds and now can focus on the next phase of her journey - going back to the wild and hunting natural prey to survive.