Tigers on road to recovery

Following big cat deaths at Bannerghatta, docs say they are taking extra precautions and the animals are showing improvement

Following big cat deaths at Bannerghatta, docs say they are taking extra precautions and the animals are showing improvementu00a0
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Officials at the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) have reason to feel relieved now, with the infected safari showing signs of improvement.

COMEBACK CAT: A doctor treats an ailing tiger. File pic

B C Chittiappa, assistant director, (veterinary Services), BBP, said, "Most of the animals which were affected with salmonella and E.coli bacterial infections have recovered. The blood reports of these animals are normal.

On Monday, Renuka Prasad, Director, Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals (IAHVB) Dr and Dean of Veterinary College, Dr S Yathiraj, visited the Biological park and examined the animals.

Doctors at the BBP confirmed that the animals have started eating meat. "Arya has consumed 2 Kg of liver and a thigh piece, whereas Minchu who still has infection ate just two liver pieces. Gowri and her three cubs will take a few more days to come back to normal," said a doctor.

But S Yathiraj, Dean, Veterinary College, said, "The conditions at the park are still notu00a0 normal. Minchu's kidney has been affected, and Arya is suffering from a Liver problem. It will take some more time for them to recover, so hey will be kept under constant vigil. But other animals have shown a lot of improvement.
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The BBP doctors have started feeding and treating the animals according to the committee's decision. The blood samples are collected every 48 hours now, compared with 24 hours as was done before."

The doctors at the park are confident that the infection would not spread, as they have isolated the infected animals and are taking all kinds of precautionary measures.