An air of mourning hangs over the Alipore Zoo following the deaths of two of its beloved tigress residents, Payal and Rupa, in a span of 24 hours. The close timings of the deaths to each other has also raised suspicion, prompting a high-level investigation by the Central Zoo Authority.

The first to pass was Payal, a 17-year-old striped tigress who died on Tuesday morning. Payal, who was brought to Alipore from Nandankanan in Odisha in 2016, had been in failing health for some time. As per Zoo officials, she had been suffering from various age-related ailments and had lost her mobility and appetite.

The very next day, a second loss struck the zoo. Rupa, a 21-year-old white tigress born and raised at Alipore, passed away on Wednesday morning. The daughter of a striped tigress named ‘Krishna’ and a white tiger named ‘Anirban’, Rupa was also suffering from the effects of old age, including paralysis in one of her legs.

While zoo authorities attribute both deaths to old age, concerns led the Central Zoo Authority to establish an investigation committee to look into the matter. The bodies of both tigresses have been sent for post-mortem examinations at the Alipore veterinary hospital, conducted by a three-doctor team and recorded on video to ensure transparency. The exact cause of death will be determined after a viscera examination.