Veterinarian Dr SS Rathod turns mother to save lion cub

Chennai: Dr S.S. Rathod is a veterinarian with a difference. Though many of his tribe may confine to treating animals, this senior wildlife veterinarian donned the avatar of a mother and literally reared the lion cub from day one of his birth. Now Kailash, the majestic Asiatic lion, though a year old, is bulk in stature and quite strong enough to take care of himself.

“He was so tender and his four-and-a-half-year-old mother RT could not feed him. Two of his siblings died when RT ‘malhandled’ them and as I didn’t want to risk losing him, I held him close to my heart (after removing the shirt) and made him feel my heartbeat so that he did not feel uneasy, and used a feeding bottle,” says Dr. Rathod. Gradually he appeared to enjoy the comfort and warmth of his ‘mother.’

Now Kailash has become the pride of Machia Biological Park, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, that is spread across 41 hectares land. His brother, Riaz, over six moths old, and also his sister Lakshmi, are kept in separate small cages and being provided the treatment and care that are invariably given to the new born in neonatal ward for humans.

RT had littered three cubs initially in the Machia biological park and accidentally killed two of them when she picked up the cubs in her mouth and pierced the body of one, killing him instantly. The other was seriously injured. Getting apprehensive that the eldest cub may meet similar fate, Dr. Rathod and the zoo authorities decided to house RT in her cage while Kailash began to get the ‘special’ care.

“Feeding the cub was not easy. You can’t allow any other mammal to feed this cub. The doctor (Rathod) had to obtain milk powder from the US with the help of his friends to nurture Kailash,” says Range officer Ashok. Asiatic lions are found only in Gir National Park in Gujarat. Few months later RT delivered Riaz and a female cub on this Diwali. “We decided to name her Lakshmi as she was born on the festival of lights. Lakshmi is kept in an isolation ward of the clinic inside the biological park and no visitors are allowed to visit her,” Dr. Rathod added.

Riaz is being treated for infection in the eyes and hence housed in a separate cage in the clinic. This infection (herpes) is not uncommon among lions and Kailash who underwent similar “clouding” of the eyes had recovered, he says.

TN can take a leaf out of arid Rajasthan’s success story

Tamil Nadu could take a leaf out of the arid Rajasthan’s success story in raising plant species even on solid boulders besides effectively manage with solar energy in the southern districts languishing for water and power, to prosper.

“Availability of land was not at all a problem. We had to raise plants for the biological park. We had to dig up pits for a depth of 6.5 feet on solid boulders, fill with mud and plant sapling. And all of them have survived,” asserts Bhagwan Singh Rathore, Assistant Conservator of Forests.

About 10,000 saplings that were planted in the Machia Biological park, which was inaugurated in January 2016, were raised through drip irrigation.
 In fact, the green cover has helped to bring down the temperature in the park – one of the major attractions in Jodhpur, by three or four degrees from 48 in the past.

The forest department also built 9 check dams to meet the water requirement. On the cards is to obtain two tiger cubs from the Vandalur zoo.