SPECIES WATCH: In a rather bizarre incident, a three-year old tiger cub was attacked by a rabid dog at Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh causing much concern to park authorities and veterinary doctors.
The dog charged at the tiger cub in Hinauta range on September 10. Unfazed initially, the tiger walked away. However on being bitten on the tail, the tiger cub hit the dog back on the neck, rendering it unconscious.
The dog which later bit humans too was put to death and the forensic reports have confirmed that it was suffering from rabies.
The tiger has been administered two shots of anti-rabies vaccine as recommended by Dr. A B Shrivastava, director of the Centre for Wildlife Forensics and Health. He said that giving the entire course of vaccination as per the recommended schedule is the only course of action. Rabies has a long incubation period of 21-80 days and the animal is to be observed carefully until then.
The Panna Tiger Reserve started its Panna Tiger Reintroduction Project in 2009 after .In a rather arduous task, the authorities relocated one (T1) from Bandhavgarh, another from Kanha (T2) and a male (T3) from Pench Tiger Reserve. From a reserve devoid of any tigers in 2009, today it has 18 tigers (5 adults and 13 cubs).
Reserve Deputy Director, V.S. Parihar and Dr. Shrivastava are confident that this precious baby will survive.
In a nation where the numbers of tigers are already dwindling, this seems to be a very strange and novel threat to tigers. Let us all wait with bated breath and watch this little fighter survive the canine attack.
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Image via cc/Flickr by amandaerson2
