Last Siberian tiger comes alive at SGNP

Last Siberian tiger comes alive at SGNP

India’s last Siberian tiger has come alive at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivli nearly nine months after its death. Well, almost. The country’s lone taxidermist, Dr Santosh Gaikwad, put together at the national park a life-size model of the animal, which died at the Nainital zoo last November, using its skin and skeleton. Taxidermy is the art of mounting the skins of animals so that they have lifelike appearance. Soon after the tiger’s death from old age at Govind Ballabh Pant High Altitude Zoo in Nainital, authorities got down to the task of getting its life-size model. They requested Gaikwad, who also gives lectures at the Bombay Veterinary College, to put one together. They removed its skin and deep-froze it as well as preserved the skeleton with chemicals and salt. They then pursued Gaikwad for about two to three months since the taxidermist was caught up in work. Gaikwad finally visited the Nainital zoo in April, and brought the skin and skeleton to the taxidermy centre at the SGNP, the only such in the state. For Gaikwad, who has made models of 10 animals to date, which include a lion, a lioness, a leopard and a python, and of more than 150 birds, the model of the Siberian tiger is close to his heart because it was his first — as well as his last — assignment on this rare species. He credits Dr Abdul Samad, dean of Maharashtra Animal and Fisheries Science University, Dr Ashish Paturkar, associate dean of the university, and Dr Prakash Dhande, professor in the anatomy department there, with the required guidance on his work. He says models like that of the tiger can last for up to 70-80 years. “We used glass eyes and dentures for the jaws of the model.” You can feast your eyes on the model for week at the Nature Information Centre at the SGNP, where it has been kept on public display, says Sunil Limaye, chief conservator of forests and director, SGNP.