Rescued tiger suffering from renal failure

Pradip Kumar Maitra, Hindustan Times Nagpur, May 07, 2012 The badly injured tiger that was rescued from a poacher's trap in Chandrapur’s Tadoba tiger reserve in April is suffering from renal failure. Veterinary experts at Nagpur, who are treating the adult tiger at the Seminary Hill wildlife orphanage, say its health is deteriorating. Non-functioning of its kidneys have shocked the wildlife wing of the state and all necessary measures are being taken to save the wild cat. Dr NP Dakshindas, head of the veterinarians’ team, informed that the recent blood and urine test of the tiger revealed that it was suffering from renal failure most likely because it could not drink water for almost a day and a half, being caught in the jaw trap. The scorching summer only aggravated the problem. "The tiger’s health is being monitoring round the clock. The tiger had finally eaten something on Monday after a gap of five days," Dr Dakshindas said and added that the animal was in bad shape. The Chandrapur forest department rescued the big cat from an iron jaw laid by poachers near Palasgaon range, a buffer zone of Tadoba tiger reserve, some 200 kms from here in eastern part of Maharashtra. Another tiger that was caught in a jaw trap at the same spot was found dead. The carcass of the trapped tiger was noticed by the forest personnel during routine patrolling. Later a team of forest officials, along with vets, rescued the trapped tiger. "The rescued tiger was not responding to the treatment from the beginning and that led to the veterinary doctors to test its blood and urine which confirmed that it was suffering from renal failure," informed Kishore Mishrikotkar, assistant conservator of forests (wildlife wing), Vidarbha region. "This is the first time that we are facing such complicated health issue of a wild animal. We are a little clueless," said Mishrikotkar. He said that the forest department is also taking help of noted nephrologist of central India, Dr Dhananjay Ukhalkar, in this regard. "We want to make sure the aniimal should feel comfortable and we are doing what’s best for it," he added.