In an intriguing wildlife update, a 10-year-old male tiger, Tholpetty 17, was captured from Kenichira in Wayanad and brought to the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo on Sunday. Dr. Nikesh Kiran, the zoo’s veterinarian, confirmed the tiger’s good health and outlined the quarantine procedures in place. The tiger will spend 21 days in quarantine before moving to its permanent enclosure, with Animal Husbandry Minister J Chinchurani set to officially name the tiger soon.
Captured by the South Wayanad forest sub-division authorities on June 23, the tiger had strayed into human habitation, killing a few cattle. Initially, there were plans to transport it to the Neyyar Lion Safari Park, but the decision was made to move it to the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo for more thorough medical examination. The zoo currently houses two Royal Bengal tigers and two white tigers.
Dr. Nikesh shared insights into the tiger’s condition, noting, “A female tigress, Babitha, was brought to the zoo on March 22 from Wayanad. With the arrival of the new male tiger, the total count has gone to five. Once the new member completes the quarantine period, it will be shifted to the normal enclosure. I feel that the injuries to the male tiger might have happened during its skirmishes with other tigers while in the forest.”
Preliminary investigations have ruled out any severe medical issues, but a comprehensive health assessment will be completed after the quarantine period. Upon arrival, the tiger was fed 3 kg of beef and will receive 4 kg daily from Monday. Typically, tigers captured from the wild are not exhibited to the public initially. Babitha, the female tigress, was also kept in a special enclosure before being moved to a public exhibit area with state government approval.