Eight tigers recovering, two still critical at Bangalore biological park

Bannerghatta Biological Park, where tigers are under the grip of salmonella bacterial infection, received a relief of sort on Tuesday as the health condition of eight out of the 10 ailing big cats were reported to be improving.

The remaining two — Arya and Minchu — are still critical. While Arya is suffering from liver damage, Minchu has damaged kidney, caused by the infection. “Arya and Minchu are still a cause of concern for us. But they are slowly responding to the treatment,” said Milo Tago, executive director, BBP.

Minchu is the sibling of four-year-old safari tigress Divya who died on September 18 after suffering from salmonella and e-coli infection.

Besides Arya and Minchu, eight others — Surya, Gowri and her three-month-old cub, Anu, Rani, Lava, Pooja and Kalpana Chawla — were reported to be critical on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has constituted an expert team that will visit BBP on September 25. The team comprising three experts — Dr Achardeo MN from Nandankannan National Park, Orissa, Dr RG Jani, head, Department of Wildlife, Anand Veterinary College, Gujarat and Dr AB Shrivastava from Jabalpur University Veterinary College —will present its report to the CZA on or before September 27.

“We have been watching the situation in Bannerghatta closely. We are very unhappy that so precious lives have been lost. Following the situation in Bannerghatta, we have sent an advisory to all zoological parks to strictly follow the CZA norms,” said Dr Brijkishore Gupta, scientific officer, CZA, Delhi.