Jose K Joseph
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, July 3: The oldest tigress at Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) shook her whiskers faintly, moved her paws a little, and gave out a slight growl before she breathed her last Sunday morning.
Susama, as the tigress was known among both zookeepers and frequent visitors, died due to old age-related complications at the age of 21. Her death brought a sense of sadness among NZP staffers and animal lovers in the state.
“The tigress died at 8:20 AM owing to old age-related issues. She was 21 and had been under treatment by veterinarians for the past three years,” said NZP deputy director Jayanta Kumar Das. “A postmortem examination confirmed that the death was due to weakness, multiple hepatic cystic tumors, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis and nephritis associated with old age,” he added.
Susama was a Normal Colour Tiger (NCT), born of the big cat couple Debasis and Yamuna December 29, 1995. Wildlife experts said it was the care provided by NZT staffers that helped Susama survive up to her twenty-first year.
“The average life span of tigers in the wild is between 17 and 20 years. However, the tigers in zoos may live up to 20-25 years due to vaccination and the treatment of their ailments. It was the care provided to Susama, who was under treatment for three long years, that helped her live up to 21,” said Amit Kumar Gupta, a leading wildlife expert.
The total tiger population at NZP currently is 21 – 15 NCT (six male and nine female) and six white tigers (two male and four female), said Das.
At a zoo in Aurangabad in Bihar, a white tigress named Geeta died recently at the age of 18. She had been taken from NZP, said officials.
