Oldest white tigress at Indore zoo dies

After losing white tigress Diya earlier this month, the Kamla Nehru Zoological Park lost the oldest white tigress in its compound on Tuesday morning.

After losing white tigress Diya earlier this month, the Kamla Nehru Zoological Park lost the oldest white tigress in its compound on Tuesday morning.

Seventeen-year-old Sita, who was one of the first white tigresses to be brought to the Indore zoo 11 years ago from Aurangabad under an animal exchange programme, was on the upper end of the average lifespan of big cats in captivity.

A few days back, soon after the death of tigress Diya, zoo in-charge Dr Uttam Singh Yadav had expressed fears that Sita may succumb to her age as her vital organs were showing signs of extensive degeneration and her senses too had slowed down considerably.

"After she was brought to Indore, Sita gave birth to six big cats. Only after her arrival at the zoo, the number of the rare species of big cats increased," Yadav said.

The old tigress was a star attraction at the zoo for the last decade. With Sita's death on Tuesday, the number of big cats the Indore zoo has lost this year goes to seven, including three cubs. Now, the Indore zoo has two white tigresses and four cubs, but no male white tiger.