Kolkata: An adult royal Bengal tigress, aged two years and 10 months, died at Alipore zoo on Wednesday. It was the third tiger death at the zoo in the past three months, raising concerns over the medical care facilities for zoo animals here.
According to Aranya Bhavan officials, the tigress was born at Nandankanan in Odisha in 2023 and was brought to Kolkata in Aug last year for breeding purposes.
The two previous tigresses died in a 24-hour span on Sept 23 and Sept 24. One was a 21-year-old white tigress, Roopa, born in Alipore zoo itself, while the other, Payal, a 17-year-old tigress, was brought from Nandankanan in 2016. Both reportedly died from old age ailments.
According to sources, the latest tigress was suffering from an infection by a haemoprotozoan parasite and was admitted to Alipore Veterinary Hospital, where she died on Wednesday. Sandip Sundriyal, chief wildlife warden, said, "The tigress, aged two years and 10 months, was undergoing treatment for bacterial infection for some time. Preliminary post-mortem revealed that the cause of death was the infection. However, the exact cause would be ascertained following a viscera test."
The infection is caused by blood parasites, such as Babesia, Theileria, Anaplasma and Trypanosoma. It is transmitted by ticks or biting flies, leading to fever, anaemia and jaundice. These parasites also affect livestock (cattle, sheep, goats) and companion animals (dogs, cats).
The third tiger fatality at the zoo has raised concerns over the medical care provided to animals at the facility. An expert said, "If the tigress was suffering from the infection for some time, why was no medical board formed to keep tabs on its health condition?"
Experts questioned whether parasitic infection alone could have caused the death of a young tiger. They argued that such infections were usually treatable if detected and managed in time. Animal health expert Utpal Das told reporters, "This hemoprotozoan parasite disease of tigers, dogs and cats is mainly caused by ticks. The infection spreads through the blood. But if you are alert and get treatment on time, this disease can be cured." He added, "You usually have to carry out a routine blood test. If haemoprotozoan parasites are found in the blood, then if you get treatment immediately, you will recover completely."
Some experts found the animal's age particularly troubling, as two years and 10 months was considered the growth phase for tigers.
Bengal forest minister Birbaha Hansda could not be reached for comment but officials said a detailed investigation had been ordered.
The zoo has been dogged by a series of issues. Earlier this year, discrepancies were reported in animal sourcing, transfer, and record-keeping, with the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) disputing some of the records at the facility. A separate case on the disappearance of more than 300 animals from the zoo is currently being heard in court.