Tiger MDT23 recuperating well in Mysuru

The tiger, who had killed two people in Gudalur, was captured two months ago by the Forest Dept from the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, and sent to the rehabilitation centre for wildlife in Mysuru

The frail tiger has now reached a weight of 200 kg.

More than two months after he was captured by the Forest Department from the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), tiger MDT23, is recuperating well at the rescue and rehabilitation center for wildlife, in Mysuru.

Shekar Kumar Niraj, Chief Wildlife Warden of Tamil Nadu, said that the condition of the tiger, that killed two people in Gudalur and MTR, had “improved a lot and [it had] gained weight to touch approximately 200 kilograms.”

The tiger was very frail when he was captured, after being darted by the Forest Department. His chances of survival at the time of his capture were put at 50/50. However, in the time since he was taken to Mysuru, his condition has gradually improved, with his abscesses and around 7-8 injuries which were sustained, having fully healed, said Mr. Niraj.

T-23, a tiger which is believed to have killed two people and attacked cattle, escapes from a tea estate near Gudalur on Spetember 29, 2021. It has remained elusive since then.

Thermal drone is being used to track the tiger at Singara Road in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on October 5, 2021.

The forest department has taken the help of local herdsmen to track T23.

The Kerala forest team too joined the search operation on October 7, 2021 after the tiger was spotted in the neighbouring State for a brief time.

A forest staff announces the public not to venture into the forest, in Masinagudi.

A forest tracker sits atop a tree at Masinagudi-Singara Road after receiving information on spotting a tiger in the region.

Cattle are being used as live baits to lure the old male tiger. A team of vets are sitting on Machans with their darts ready, on October 6, 2021. Rain plays the spoilsport that day.

The vets team leader Kalaivanan tests his dart gun in the wee hours on October 6, 2021.

Chief Wildlife Warden Shekhar Kumar Niraj, on elephant back, leads the teams.

Kumki elephant Sreenivasan has also been pressed into the service to assist the operation.

Chandran, a Gudalur resident who was attacked by the carnivore, is being treated at Government Medical College Hospital in Udhagamandalam on September 24, 2021. He succumbed to injuries on the same day.

Locals join hands with the Masinagudi forest team in the tiger hunt on October 1, 2021.

The Mudumalai tiger reserve camera team install cameras at Masinagudi to locate T-23, on October 2, 2021.

Despite heavy rains, the forest team conducted extensive search at Mayfield tea estate near Gudalur. Here, the team takes a short break for lunch, on September 27, 2021.

Special tracking teams joined the search operation inside the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on October 2, 2021. More than 75 forest personnel, including expert trackers and special task force members, are engaged in on-ground operations to track T-23.

A tracking team analyses a pugmark believed to be that of tiger T23 at the buffer zone of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on October 4, 2021.

A net gun demonstration being conducted in Masinagudi by forest team and NGOs, to check if it can be used to capture the tiger on October 3, 2021.

The darting team prepares to dart the tiger on October 2, 2021 after they got information of suspected movement. But the tiger couldn’t be located.

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MDT23 is consuming around 10 kilograms of beef a week, and his stool samples have been tested and are devoid of pathogenic infections.

“The injury near the eye has been a long-time problem with the tissue being absent. The tiger’s sleep cycle has become normal and the posture more firm. It seems MDT23 will require daily care for a further five to six months,” he said.

“The tiger is eating well but still has a lot of wild behavior left in him. He is being kept in the smaller day enclosure, while the bigger enclosure measuring 2,200 to 2,400 square feet of area with tees and sunlight, open sky and natural conditions is still not open to him as he might not return to his cell, due to his still-remaining wild instincts,” said Mr. Niraj.