White tigers are the pride of Delhi’s National Zoological Park. Just like most wild animals that are housed in zoos, white tigers have always been under lockdown and have now started to feel the effect of our coronavirus-related lockdown as well. As the national capital entered the fifth lockdown, a tigress at Delhi’s National Zoological Park (NZP) sought dental treatment, IE has reported. Sita is a five year old white tigress at the Delhi National Zoological Park (NZP). She had been in immense pain till Monday due to an ailment of her mouth. Animals in pain are not easy to diagnose as they cannot express the exact cause of their suffering. However, expert veterinary teams are equipped to handle such situations and that is how the white tigress Sita received a ‘dental appointment’.
The veterinary teams of the NZP and the non-profit organisation Wildlife SOS diagnosed the problem to be a root abscess within her canine teeth. According to the Wildlife SOS spokesperson anti-inflammatory medicine was used to treat the abscess which was drained and cleaned with an antiseptic solution.
The tigress is still under observation but has now begun to eat again, which had been obstructed due to her dental problem.
Quoting Kartick Satyanaryan, CEO of Wildlife SOS, IE had cited how Satyanarayan emphasised on how a simple dental infection can cause extreme pain to animals. He also pointed out the risk involved in letting such an infection go untreated. In most animals, such infections can cause tremendous pain and suffering, which sometimes can go undetected and worsen.
Dr Suneesh Buxy, who is the director of the zoo, praised the NZP veterinary team and the NGO Wildlife SOS for rescuing the tigress in the pandemic. Stating to IE the difficulty faced by the country during the lockdown, Buxy also emphasised on the need to provide treatment and care to animals so that their health and well-being isn’t neglected.
