In a first, tiger cub to be treated for cataract in India

Idukki (Kerala): An abandoned tiger cub, suffering from cataract disease and found near Mangala Devi Temple inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in this district in November 2020, will be treated with eyedrops imported from US. 

This is the first time in India that a tiger will be treated with 'lanosterol' eyedrops to be imported from the US for the treatment of cataract in animals, sources told UNI on Friday.

An expert team of veterinary doctors inspected female tiger "Mangala" and recommended treatment for cataract. Her mother had abandoned her when she was two months old.

Earlier, the National Tiger Conservation Authority of India (NTCA) directed the Kerala Forest Department to release the cub into the forest when it completes two years of age.

It was not released earlier due to its cataract. Later, it was shifted to a separate enclosure to train for prey hunting for rewilding. The tiger weighing 40 kg now will be released into the forest with a radio collar after her cataract is cured. (UNI)