India, March 11 -- High in the forests of the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), near the ancient Mangala Devi temple that stands quietly on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, a patrol team of forest watchers was moving through thick undergrowth in November 2020 when they noticed something unusual beneath a layer of fallen leaves. At first, it appeared to be just another small movement on the forest floor. But as the guards approached carefully, they realised it was a tiger cub lying alone. The cub was a female, barely two months old. She tried to stand but stumbled almost immediately. One hind leg appeared weak. Her eyes looked cloudy and unfocused. The dense forest around the temple, usually alive with the sounds of birds and insects, felt suddenl...