Tigress Mangala to be translocated to Thrissur Zoological Park for eye treatment

Kochi: Mangala, a then two-month-old tiger cub who was found abandoned near Mangaladevi temple on Tamil Nadu border in Nov 2020 and raised by forest officials at Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), will now be moved to a new abode in captivity due to her health condition.Chief wildlife warden has issued an order to tranquillise and translocate the 5-year-old Mangala, who is suffering from bilateral cataract lens luxation, to Thrissur Zoological Park for advanced treatment. The tigress was abandoned by her mother and was found near the temple by forest staff. Although she was cared for by the staff, hoping to rewild her later, the tigress did not show signs of improvement in adapting to wild conditions. "Ever since she was rescued by the forest staff, Mangala was in captivity in an enclosure in PTR. Though we tried to rewild her, there was no improvement. Even when we allowed easy prey like a rabbit in her enclosure, Mangala did not show signs of hunting, which is due to her vision issues. That could be why she was abandoned by her mother. In such a scenario, it will be difficult for her to survive in the wild even if she undergoes rewilding," said a forest official in PTR. The order reads that the treatment given did not cure her eye condition and poor vision persists. A technical committee comprising four veterinarians was constituted and monitored the animal to take a decision on rewilding Mangala. However, the committee observed that she has a persistent clinical condition and the only solution is eye surgery. "But the committee observed that surgery and anaesthesia are not feasible options as post-operative care is difficult in wild/semi-wild felines. Rewilding is also a challenging option after surgery," reads the order. Since the animal was raised under human care, rewilding Mangala may result in human-tiger conflict. The committee observed that rewilding could not be recommended in such a scenario and that she must be raised in captivity.