Visitors to the Mysore zoo on Wednesday got a chance to see Shiva, the male tiger captured from the Bandipur Tiger Reserve after it killed three persons last year.
The tiger was put on display for the first time on Wednesday after it was trapped in the forests of Chikkabargi.
Zoo authorities had plans of displaying the tiger last month, but they decided to wait to ascertain its behaviour before its release into the display area. Shiva was earlier housed in a special enclosure in the zoo hospital. The tiger was let into an off-exhibit moated and fenced space next to the hospital. On finding it calm after its release into a moated and fenced open enclosure on a trial basis on Tuesday, the authorities decided to exhibit Shiva on Wednesday.
“Shiva is composed and has adjusted to the surroundings. It has stayed away from the visitors’ barricade and rested all through the day. It will take some time for the tiger to get used to the conditions,” said Zoo Executive Director B.P. Ravi.
He told The Hindu that captive tigers would be displayed in one portion of the partitioned enclosure and Shiva in the other. Amrutha, a tigress rescued from the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, would be displayed on some days in place of Shiva, he added. “It is good to see that both the wild tigers have adjusted to the zoo ambience,” Mr. Ravi said.
Wild tigers are kept in zoos to introduce new bloodlines.
