In a heart-warming gesture, a special single-coach AC train was operated from Bhopal to transport two injured tiger cubs from the Midghat section near Budhni in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore district.
The West Central Railway (WCR) operated the train on Tuesday (July 16) to rescue three tiger cubs injured after they were struck by a train in the forested area in Midghat, located 70 km from Bhopal, on the intervening night of July 14-15, an official said. One of the cubs, a nearly nine-month-old male, succumbed to injuries near the railway track, while the two others remained stranded in a drain near the rail line.
Rescue efforts were hit on Monday (July 15) when the mother of the cubs arrived at the spot, preventing anyone from approaching them, the official said. The operation was halted due to darkness and resumed on Tuesday morning. A team of veterinarians and Satpuda Tiger Reserve officials successfully rescued the two female cubs.
Special train dispatched on CM Mohan Yadav's directions
The special train, dispatched on the directions of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, transported the severely injured cubs to Rani Kamalapati railway station in state capital Bhopal before being shifted to the Van Vihar National Park for treatment.
The hind legs of both the rescued cubs are currently non-functional due to the effects of tranquillising drugs. They are scheduled for further examination and treatment on Wednesday, once the medication effects diminish, the official said.
A special single-coach AC train was deployed from Bhopal to rescue injured tiger cubs from the Midghat section near Budhni in Sehore. Earlier, wildlife doctors who reached the spot following the incident found that the treatment of the injured cubs was not possible there and they should be shifted to the wildlife hospital in Bhopal.
West Central Railway's helping hand
Considering the seriousness of the situation, Sehore Collector Praveen Singh sought help from senior officials of the West Central Railway (WCR) in Bhopal after which the WCR decided to send a special single-coach AC train to Midghat on Tuesday morning.
Both the injured cubs were brought to Bhopal by the special train and admitted to the Wildlife Hospital of Van Vihar, the Forest Department said in a statement.
(With agencies inputs)
ALSO READ: Madhya Pradesh: Police use water cannons, tear gas to disperse protesting NSUI, Congress workers
ALSO READ: Madhya Pradesh: Indore creates world record of planting over 11 lakh saplings in one day