India skipper MS Dhoni came good on his promise to former India pacer Javagal Srinath and adopted a nine-year-old tiger, Agsthya, from the Mysore Zoo on Wednesday.
Dhoni officially handed over a Rs 1 lakh cheque through Srinath to zoo authorities.
As HT had reported last month, Srinath's persuasion skills paid off as Dhoni joined teammate Zaheer Khan and former players Anil Kumble, who adopted a leopard and a giraffe respectively, in adopting animals from the zoo which has been in existence since 1892 and was earlier under the patronage of the Mysore royal family.
“The tiger, our national animal, needs protection. I am adopting Agashtya to endorse and encourage our people to love animals and to stand for the cause of animal rights,” read a statement from Dhoni.