CHANCHAL GOLA | Ramnagar
Tigers housed at the Dhela rescue centre set up especially for big cats consume meat worth about Rs 80 lakh annually. The centre, constructed in 2020 in Ramnagar, was specifically designed with enclosures for the treatment and rehabilitation of tigers and leopards rescued in an injured condition or from a conflict situation.
Due to advanced medical care, tigers from various forest divisions across the State are brought here for treatment. After recovery and a monitoring period, they are eventually released back into the wild if found fit. At present, the Dhela rescue centre is home to 12 tigers and 13 leopards, all under constant supervision.
Corbett Tiger Reserve director Saket Badola said, “At the rescue centre, tigers and leopards are provided with meat and facilities in accordance with their dietary needs and health requirements.”
Wildlife veterinarian Dr Dushyant Sharma said that
tigers and leopards are fed meat equivalent to nearly eight per cent of their body weight. For maintaining good health, they are also subjected to one or two days of fasting, he said.
