Bangalore, Oct 5 (PTI) A four-year-old female tiger succumbed to bacterial infection in Bannerghatta National Park here today, taking the death toll of wildcats in the park to three since last month. Despite all efforts to save Minchu, whose condition turned very critical yesterday, the tigress succumbed to Salmonella bacterial infection this morning, Karnataka Forest Minister C H Vijayashankar said. The condition of the 14 other tigers, also affected by the infection, was "slowly improving", he said. A four-year-old tigress and a three-month old cub died in the park due to the infection last month. "I am distressed by the deaths of tigers... It is an embarrassment to the department and the government," he told reporters on the sidelines of 56th Wildlife Week Celebrations here. The Minister said he would discuss the situation with the forest officials and ask them to take steps to ensure that such incidents did not recur. Vijayashankar assured that action will be taken against those responsible for supplying stale chicken (which has high concentration of salmonella bacteria resulting in the bacterial infection), once he studies the report submitted by the Central Zoo Authority team which was in the city recently to assess the situation at the park. Reacting to the tiger deaths, state Governor H R Bhardwaj said he was "deeply distressed". When queried about stale chicken causing bacterial infection, he took an indirect swipe at the BJP Government's ban on cow slaughter and said "do not enact bad laws. Leave something for wildlife as they do not eat chicken". The Governor has been criticised by BJP for forwarding the Cow Slaughter Ban Bill to the President for assent.
No comments:
Post a Comment