A wounded
Siberian
tiger which killed a woman after breaking loose from a trap in
northeast China is still in a critical condition. The tiger's
gullet and windpipe were severely damaged when it tried to break
out of the trap.
After being anaesthetized the injured animal was taken to a local
hospital for a three-and-a-half-hour emergency operation, which was
successful. It was then moved to a local forestry company workshop
where it is given a daily transfusion of a nutrient solution with
added anti-phlogistive agents.
Nearly 20 experts from Beijing, Harbin and other places have
gathered in Hunchun City to work out an effective resuscitation
plan for the unusual patient. This is the first time an injured
wild Siberian tiger has been treated in China. Experts are not
quite clear about the self-recovery capability of wild Siberian
tigers.
"We have no examples to follow," said Zhang Jinguo, vice head of
Beijing Zoo. "This tiger has been severely wounded and needs a long
time to recover."
The tiger was found dying close to the body of a woman on February
3 in Hunchun Nature Reserve, which is located at the juncture of
China, Russia, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK).
Yang Chunyan, the victim, came across the tiger while walking home
with three other colleagues. Unable to escape as quickly as the
others, she was killed by the pain maddened tiger which had been
wounded by a device alleged to have been set by poachers, according
to local officials.
The dead woman's three colleagues survived.
Officials say the tiger must have attacked Yang because of its
injuries as wild tigers do not normally attack people.
Local police have started an investigation into the incident and
are looking for the people responsible for setting the illegal
device.
(China Daily February
10, 2002)