Indore zoo loses white tigress to cancer

After losing a male white tiger named Rajan to a cobra bite on December 30, the Kamala Nehru Park in Indore on Saturday lost another big cat as five-year-old white tigress Diya succumbed after battling intestinal cancer for about a month and a half, zoo officials said.

After losing a male white tiger named Rajan to a cobra bite on December 30, the Kamala Nehru Park in Indore on Saturday lost another big cat as five-year-old white tigress Diya succumbed after battling intestinal cancer for about a month and a half, zoo officials said.

Kamala Nehru Park in Indore on Saturday lost another big cat as five-year-old white tigress Diya succumbed to intestinal cancer. (Arun Mondhe/HT photo)

The Indore zoo now has a total of nine big cats, five females and four males.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, zoo in-charge Dr Uttam Yadav said the white tigress was born and raised in the Indore zoo and had been receiving treatment for intestinal cancer for the past one-and-half months.

Dr Yadav said the tigress had not been doing well since she delivered three cubs about two months back. Despite the best efforts of the doctors at the zoo, Diya couldn't recuperate. She breathed her last on Saturday morning.

"The tigress was cremated here after doctors performed a post-mortem at the zoo hospital. To confirm the exact reason behind the death, parts of her intestine will also be sent for histopathological tests," Yadav said.

Divya, who was born here at the zoo in 2010, delivered twice during her life time.

"She first delivered three cubs about ten-and-a-half months back. Two cubs died while the tigress was carrying them from one place to another. The remaining third cub is in good health after zoo officials separated him from his mother. Seven months later, she again delivered three-cubs and this time the zoo officials took all necessary steps to save the three newborn cubs," Yadav said.

On an average, Yadav said big cats survive from 16 to 24 years in captivity.

LIONESS DIES OF OLD-AGE

An ailing 16-year-old lioness in Bhopal's Van Vihar National Park on Friday, veterinarian Dr Atul Gupta said.

Bhawani had suffered a paralytic attack on February 22, 2015, and was being treated for it since then. Gupta said the post-mortem report revealed the reason for her death was old age and non-functioning of internal organs.