The Bear Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre (BBRC) has lost another sloth bear with Ratnakar, 15, succumbing to tuberculosis infection on Thursday.
The animal was under treatment for the past three months and kept in isolation and observation. Dr Arun A Sha, wildlife veterinarian of BBRC said Ratnakar had an erratic food habit for over a month. The bear was rescued in June, 2009 from Hampikatte, Bellary from Kalandars.
Dr Arun said they are unable to diagnose and treat the animals for their TB infection and in the past two years, the rescue centre has lost more than 24 sloth bears to TB. “Tuberculosis infection is incurable among animals, there is no published journal across the globe about TB being cured in animals,” Dr Arun added.
The test results of micro PCR tests initiated by Institute of Animal Health & Veterinary Biologicals (IAH&VB) are very confusing as they have tested TB positive for five sloth bears, but these bears are doing fine.
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