Second-oldest tiger at SGNP in Mumbai in critical condition

One of the oldest male Royal Bengal tigers at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), Palash (13), is in a critical condition, veterinarians said on Monday

One of the oldest male Royal Bengal tigers at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), Palash (13), is in a critical condition, veterinarians said on Monday.

The tiger had a fit on Monday after it failed to urinate, said forest officers (HT File Photo)

The tiger had a fit on Monday after it failed to urinate, said forest officers.

Palash is the second-oldest tiger in the park after 16-year-old Bajirao.

SGNP veterinarians had detected a renal failure — a condition, in which the kidneys lose the ability to filter waste and balance fluids — in the tiger last Wednesday. “Palash is currently critical, his condition is very bad and he is in the last stage of his life. We are trying our best to save him, but he is not going to make it,” said Dr Shailesh Pethe, veterinarian, SGNP.

He added that animals with a high-protein diet, such as tigers, are prone to renal issues and most carnivores are susceptible to renal issues in their old age. The lifespan of tigers in captivity is between 14 and 16 years. “We had experts from Bombay Veterinary College visiting SGNP and his treatment is underway. The tiger has been put on saline but chances of his survival are minimal,” said Pethe. “His serum creatinine levels have shot up. He is weak and exhausted.”

Forest officers said that the health issues were detected from a blood report earlier last week that identified the renal failure. “The situation is worrisome as the tiger has stopped eating and it has been four days. While every kind of treatment treatment is being provided, old age nullifies the effort. We are hoping for a recovery,” said Vikas Gupta, chief conservator of forests, SGNP.

Palash had fathered four offsprings — two males, Yash and Anand and two females — Laxmi and Puja. Puja, a four-year-and-three-month-old Royal Bengal tigress, died on February 4, last year, at the park. She had been suffering from septicaemia, also known as blood poisoning, since September 2014.

In August, two Royal Bengal tigresses, both twins, were brought to SGNP from Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, and were renamed by park officials as Bijlee and Mastani. Currently, there are eight tigers at the park — four female Royal Bengal, three males and one white Albino.