Tiger lost vision in left eye after fight: Experts

Idukki: The tiger, which was trapped in a cage at Neymakkad estate near Munnar on Tuesday, lost vision in its left eye after a fight with another tiger, experts said. As per expert opinion, the tiger was released to a restricted area in Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Thekkady on Friday morning.
“The tiger lost its vision in the left eye after a fight with another tiger.After the fight, the tiger’s left eye developed corneal opacity, and it is suspected that the tiger was hit in the left eye by the other tiger. We suspect the tiger had entered human habitations after the fight,” a forest veterinary doctor told TOI.
“Initially, we suspected that the tiger was transgender. But after the detailed inspection, it was confirmed that it was a nine-year-old male tiger,” the official said.
Munnar DFO Raju Francis said for the first time in the state, a radio collar has been tied to the neck of a tiger.
“After the detailed inspection, the expert team recommended shifting the tiger to a restricted forest area in PTR. Before releasing the tiger, an expert study confirmed that there were no other tigers present in the area and that the tiger was in the new habitat,” Francis said.
“The expert team also confirmed that the tiger has no other health issues and can hunt its prey. The forest department will monitor the tiger’s movements through the radio collar facility,” he said.
PTR East deputy director Patil Suyog Subhash Rao said the condition of the released tiger is stable. “The forest department watchers are monitoring the tiger,” said the official.
The tiger had triggered panic at Neymakkad estate under Kannan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP) near Munnar in Idukki killing ten cows and leaving three cows seriously injured. The forest department fixed cages in the area and trapped the tiger.