A third tigress has died at the Alipore Zoo in Kolkata within three months, raising concerns over animal health management at one of the country’s oldest zoological parks.
The latest death comes even as officials wait for post-mortem and viscera reports to determine the exact cause, reported ABP Ananda.
The tigress was found dead on Tuesday night. An autopsy was conducted at the Alipore Animal Hospital on Wednesday, and samples have been sent for viscera examination. Zoo authorities said the cause of death will be clear only after the reports are received.
This is the third tigress to die at the zoo in a short span. In September, two tigresses died within 24 hours of each other.
She had been brought from Nandankanan Zoo in Odisha in August last year and was only two years and 10 months old. According to officials, the latest tigress had been physically unwell for some time and was found to have parasites in her body.
Experts have questioned whether parasitic infection alone could have caused the death of a young tiger. Tiger experts argue that such infections are usually treatable if detected and managed in time.
They say the age of the animal makes the death particularly troubling, as two years and 10 months is considered a growth phase for tigers. Earlier, after the two tigresses died in September, reports stated that they had died due to old age.
Experts now point out that such an explanation cannot apply to the latest case. The director of the Alipore Zoo said the autopsy was carried out according to established rules.
“Everything will be understood according to the report,” the director said, adding that the authorities are waiting for both the autopsy and viscera findings.
Wildlife activists and experts have called for closer scrutiny of animal health monitoring at the zoo.
Biswajit Roychowdhury, secretary of the Nature Environment and Wildlife Society, said, "Until the autopsy report comes, it is not possible to say specifically what caused her death. I will request the authorities to check the health of the tiger from time to time. There are medicines for all diseases except cancer."
"If treated on time, she might have recovered. Two years and 10 months means a growing tiger. It is a very sad incident. There may be some such parasite. How it entered the body, it will not be understood without testing," Roychowdhury added.
Animal health expert Dr Utpal Das said, "This hemoprotozoan parasite disease of tigers, dogs, and cats is mainly caused by ticks. The infection spreads through the blood. However, if you are alert and get treatment on time, this disease can be cured," reported Sangbad Pratidin.
"Usually, you have to do a routine blood test. If homoprotozoan parasites are found in the blood, then if you get treatment immediately, you will recover completely," Das added.