Four rescued tiger cubs die at Mysuru centre; viral infection suspected
Mysuru (Karnataka) (PTI): Four tiger cubs rescued by the Forest Department last month died at a rescue and rehabilitation centre on the outskirts of the city, officials said on Wednesday.
According to officials, a tigress and her four cubs, aged around four months, were captured near Gowdanakatte village in Hunsur taluk after being spotted roaming along the forest fringes in the district.
The tigress was trapped and shifted to the Chamundi Animal Conservation, Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at Koorgalli on the outskirts of Mysuru on November 27.
Her cubs were safely captured three days later, on November 30, and moved to the same facility, where they were kept under observation, an official said. However, on December 1, one of the cubs died.
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A preliminary inquiry suggested it may have succumbed to starvation and is also suspected to have developed respiratory and cardiovascular complications, the official said.
The remaining three cubs died on December 5, 7, and 9. Officials said all three are suspected to have contracted a viral infection, possibly Feline panleukopenia.
It is a highly contagious and severe viral disease in cats and kittens, primarily targeting rapidly dividing cells in the digestive tract, bone marrow, lymphatic tissue, and developing nervous system.
The mother tigress remains healthy but continues to be under observation, they added.
Viscera samples of the cubs have been sent to a veterinary laboratory in Bengaluru to determine the exact cause of death, and the reports are awaited, officials said.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
