Mysuru: The injured tigress, which was rescued by the Forest Department from Hediyala Range coming under Bandipur Tiger Reserve Forest on Monday and shifted to Mysuru Zoo where it is kept under observation after being treated for its injuries is said to be critical.

The Department officials and staff, who conducted a search operation to nab the tigress, found it injured and writhing in pain.

The officials then tranquillised the tigress and using large nets, captured it and had shifted it to Mysuru Zoo where it was treated for its injuries and kept under observation with veterinarians and Zoo officials constantly monitoring its progress.

As the big striped wild cat had suffered serious injuries on its head, neck, back, legs and other parts of the body, the veterinarians had administered pain killers and other medicines before being kept on observation.

The Tigress, which is still drowsy, is not consuming food which has become a challenge to the Zoo authorities.

Forest Department officials have suspected that the tigress may have been involved in a fight with a tiger as tigers tend to attack tigress when they do not co-operate during mating or the tigress may have come face-to-face with another tigress resulting in fight between  them over food.