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Bengal tiger maimed by crocodile 13 yrs ago turns 25 at South Khairbari rehab
Benal tiger Raja was crossing a river at the Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary in the Sunderbans when a crocodile attacked him in 2008
SILIGURI: A Bengal tiger, rescued from the Sunderbans 13 years ago after being maimed by a crocodile, turned 25 on Monday at the South Khairbari Leopard Rehabilitation Centre in north Bengal’s Alipurduar district, forest officials said.
He is still very healthy, said an official of West Bengal’s forest department that celebrated the event by holding online drawing and quiz competitions on tigers and wildlife protection. A video on life of the tiger in the enclosure was also released.
The tiger, Raja, is considered among the oldest in India.
Bengal tigers have an average life span of 12-15 years in the wild and 20 years or more in captivity, according to the Wildlife Institute of India (2018) National Studbook of Bengal.
Gum-line recession, a physiological aspect of ageing, is said to be reliable way to estimate age of adults tiger. Raja’s age has been estimated using this method, officials said.
Deepak M, divisional forest officer of Jaldapara National Park, said, “The day Raja was brought to us was marked as his birthday. He was 12 years old then and could not walk.”
“In 2008, Raja was crossing a river at the Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary in the Sunderbans when a crocodile attacked him. His left hind leg was badly injured in the fight. He was taken to the Alipore Zoo in Kolkata and brought to Alipurduar after preliminary treatment,” said Deepak M.
Veterinary doctor Pralay Mandal, four doctors in his team, and wildlife guard Partha Sarathi Sinha treated the injured tiger. Though the other injuries healed, Raja could walk only after nine months.
When Raja arrived at the rehabilitation centre there were already 19 Bengal tigers that had been rescued from circuses. Some of them died of age while the rest were sent to zoos. Raja is the only Bengal tiger left now. There are 21 leopards as well.
Sinha, who still serves as forest guard, said, “Raja is still very healthy and this makes us proud. No Bengal tiger has lived for 25 years. We are witness to history.”
