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Three-legged tiger to be released into wild
Three-legged Gadis: Veterinarians and volunteers carry Gadis, a Sumatran tiger that is being transferred to the Widlife Sanctuary Park in North Sumatra, on Monday
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Three-legged Gadis: Veterinarians and volunteers carry Gadis, a Sumatran tiger that is being transferred to the Widlife Sanctuary Park in North Sumatra, on Monday. Gadis will be released into the forest even though she only has three legs. Her right foreleg was amputated after it was severely injured due to a trap. (JP/Apriadi Gunawan)
After a successful medical amputation of her right foreleg, a Sumatran tiger will soon be reintroduced into her natural habitat in the Barumun Wildlife Sanctuary Park, which is located in South Tapanuli and North Padang Lawas regencies in North Sumatra.
The health condition of the four-and-a-half-year-old female Sumatran tiger named Gadis was good enough to be released, North Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) spokesman Evansus R. Manalu said on Tuesday.
Officials are optimistic Gadis’ reintroduction into the wild will be successful despite her only having three legs.
A number of preparations were underway ahead of the release, including ensuring the tiger’s physical health, he said.
“So far, the condition of Gadis is quite well. She is ready to be released into the wild in the near future,” Evansus told The Jakarta Post.
Gadis had been undergoing medical treatment in Batang Gadis National Park, Mandailing Natal regency, North Sumatra for almost a year after the national park officials saved her from a trap in 2015.
A veterinary team led by Anhar Lubis had to amputate one of Gadis’ legs, which had turned gangrenous because of a trap, he said.
During the medical treatment, Gadis’ health condition gradually improved, so her natural instincts could be maintained and she could be moved to a more suitable location at the Barumun Wildlife Sanctuary Park.
The relocation to Barumun was carried out on Monday evening, Evansus said.
Meanwhile, Batang Gadis National Park head Bambang Harianto said Gadis was transferred because her condition had returned to normal after she underwent various medical examinations, including blood tests and medical check-ups.
Despite having been declared fit, Gadis would still need to undergo medical examinations and rehabilitation in Barumun before being reintroduced into the wild, he said.
The park’s team of officials would monitor her condition first.
If Gadis is considered able to adjust to a larger area by seeking her own food in the wildlife sanctuary, said Bambang, then they would release her into the wild.
“We’ll see if she can hunt with three legs like other tigers. Then we will immediately release her,” he said.
The doctor who cut off Gadis’ right foreleg, Anhar Lubis, said the decision to amputate was taken in order to save her life by stopping the infection from the wound from spreading.
Gadis was caught in a trap in Batu Madinding village, Batang Natal district, Mandailing Natal regency on Nov. 26, 2015. The trap was set by farmers to catch wild boars that were often damaging crops.
The Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Sumatran tiger as a critically endangered species since 1996.
The organization reported that the species has been struggling with habitat loss amid the expansion of oil palm and acacia plantations and has suffered from the illegal trading of body parts, primarily for the domestic market.
Data from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) showed that there are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers alive today.
