Star tiger at Borivali's SGNP operated for a granuloma tumour on lip

Yash is an 11-year-old Royal Bengal captive tiger at SGNP

One of the star attractions of the tiger safari at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), Yash, a male tiger, is unwell. In a nearly three-hour operation that took place a few days ago, the SGNP doctors removed a tumour, called a granuloma, from his face. In August, the tiger was operated for the same problem. The samples have been collected and sent for further analysis to rule out the possibility of any fatal disease.

The challenging surgery on the tiger was performed on Monday morning by a team of veterinarians, led by senior veterinary surgeon, Dr CC Wakankar, assisted by Dr Pradnya Pethe, Dr Manish Pingle and Dr Ajay Deshmukh, in presence of the SGNP staff.

Officials from SGNP told mid-day that Yash is on the road to recovery. The veterinary officer at SGNP, Dr Shailesh Pethe, said, "Yash, an 11-year-old Royal Bengal captive tiger, was operated upon in SGNP on March 18. The tiger had a growth on the left side of the lower lip. An approximately 400gm growth has been removed. The surgery was successful and the animal is recuperating well and is under observation. We are giving him boneless chicken and boneless buff beef, and he is responding to the treatment."

The officials have also collected blood and other samples, which have been sent for histopathology investigations. The veterinarians of the tiger are also seeking a second opinion.

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