Alipurduar, Nov. 4 -- The Forest department will not risk releasing BTR TF-1 into the wild until she is declared 'fit to wild'. For now, the nearly three-year-old tigress will remain in the 2.2-hectare open enclosure beside the 25 Mile Tower in Buxa Tiger Reserve until her body temperature, heart rhythm and blood pressure return to normal.
The enclosure has several spotted deer and wild boars. Forest officials are waiting for her to regain strength and resume hunting naturally. Having undergone tranquilisation three times in just over a month, the tigress is believed to be physically exhausted.
If she shows reluctance to hunt, she may be provided fresh goat and chicken meat on alternate days, with the quantity capped at 20 kg. However, as per NTCA guidelines, she cannot be kept in the enclosure for more than 10 days.
Meanwhile, the state Forest department has begun preparations to bring another tiger and tigress from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve between November 25 and 28. Officials are considering bringing a companion for BTR TF-1 on expert advice.
Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon said: "Experts will decide when she should return to the wild. We will not take that call ourselves. The tigress is completely healthy and normal."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.