Playing Mother Hen

Unassuming, diligent and very willing to step into unknown territories, Jangale moved in as the SGNP vet, with no experience in hand, only five months ago. But her portfolio already includes two major surgeries and several rescue operations.

“My first surgery had me staring straight into a tiger’s eye, literally,” she laughs, explaining her nervousness when she accompanied noted veterinarian Dr Chandrakant Wakankar to perform a laser eye surgery on a white tigress. “The tigress, Renuka, had an eye tumour and we had to conduct a rare and intense operation on her. It was one of my first assignments with a big cat and naturally I was very nervous. But the surgery got over in just 10 minutes. The confidence I got from the success was immense,” she says.

An animal gynecologist by profession, Jangale started her career in 1997 as a livestock development doctor for the state government, in Raigad. Her job was to look after farm animals including cows, goats and sheep of the local villagers. Her transfer came in 2004 when she moved to the state-owned Quality Control Laboratory in Goregaon, for testing dairy products. “SGNP is my third transfer, and after a lifetime with lambs and goats, here I am treating predator animals,” she smiles. From working with preys to predators, Jangale has come a long way.

At SGNP, a typical working day for Jangale starts with taking rounds of the forest, doing regular health check-ups on the safari lions, tigers and leopards and rescuing and treating injured animals and birds in the park. “Recently, we rescued an injured vulture from the park. The animal had a broken wing and we had to fix it immediately. It was a delicate operation, which involved spreading out the birds wings and stitching its bone back in its place,” she says. Vultures are highly endangered birds and it was extraordinary to find one within the park, she pointed out, adding: “So we felt it was our responsibility to save the bird.”

Today, Jangale faces two major challenges: To rear the two royal Bengal tiger cubs recently born in the park and, the other, to assist in the breeding programme of the rare rusty spotted cat couple currently housed in the park.

“Tiger cubs are very susceptible to infections and it has been a task to ensure their safety so far. Now, with the cubs having passed the risky one-month period, we are slightly relaxed. Yet, dangers impend till the cubs are fully grown — we have to watch them at every step, monitor their nutrition intake by feeding their mother with vitamins and vaccinate them in the right time.” Even as Jangale speaks, an expression of maternal love crosses her face. “Indeed, raising these children is as difficult as raising one’s own kids,” she laughs.