Kolkata: Sohini, the oldest captive tiger in Bengal at 23 years, died on Wednesday night at the Sundarbans' Jharkhali Rescue Centre. This follows the loss of another Bengal tiger, 21-year-old Sohan, just five months ago, who was then the oldest captive tiger in the state.
Officials confirmed that Sohini remained healthy and normal until her passing. The cremation took place on the zoo premises on Thursday evening. A procession was held similar to the one that was conducted after Sohan's death.
Forest officials stated that a postmortem was conducted in their presence, although continuous rainfall had delayed some formalities.
Sohini's lifespan significantly exceeds the average for Bengal tigers, which ranges from 10-15 years in the wild and 16-18 years in captivity.
Experts have lauded this as an extraordinary achievement.
Nisha Goswami, divisional forest officer of South 24 Parganas, said, "She is one of the oldest captive tigers."
An official sharing Sohini's history noted that she was captured from the Jhila compartment of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in 2018 and had been housed at Jharkhali Zoo since. Alongside Sohini, Sohan and Sundar were long-time residents at the centre.
Two months ago, another tigress was brought here from Alipore Zoo. With the departures of Sohini and Sohan, the rescue centre now houses only two tigers.
Sources revealed that a few years ago, Sohini was diagnosed with cataract. A specialist team from Hyderabad examined her, but doctors advised against surgery due to the risks associated with her age, which could have led to blindness. She was also regularly provided with boneless meat owing to dental issues.
The tiger's death has left zoo staff devastated. Caretakers described the loss as akin to losing a family member after years of close association and care.