Mumbai’s Byculla Zoo tiger Shakti dies of pneumonia at 9

The tiger had not eaten on November 15 and was immediately placed under the supervision of veterinarians.

Tiger dead in Mumbai Zoo

Mumbai: Shakti, a Royal Bengal tiger, of the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo (VJBBGZ) at Byculla in Mumbai has died of respiratory failure because of pneumonia infection.

The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which runs the VJBBGZ, popularly known as Rani Baug, has confirmed the death of the male tiger.

The pair of Royal Bengal tigers Shakti (male) and Karishma (female) were brought 2 February 2020 from the Siddhartha Garden and Zoo in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar as part of an exchange programme.

Since then, the pair has become the main attraction of the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Garden and Zoo.

Visitors and tourists visiting the park used to flock to see Shakti and Karishma.

Shakti was aged nine years and six months.

The BMC clarified that Shakti did not die due to a bone getting stuck in his trachea, but due to respiratory failure following pneumonia.

Shakti had not eaten on November 15 and was immediately placed under the supervision of veterinarians. Medicines were administered through water.

On November 16, Shakti ate some chicken meat and drank water, however, started vomiting.

On November 17, while being taken into the cage for a health check-up, he suddenly had a convulsion and died at 1215 pm.

“Shakti had no previous signs of illness,” the BMC said.

After Shakti's death, a professor and his team from the Department of Veterinary Pathology at Mumbai Veterinary College at Parel conducted an autopsy on the same day at 2:30 pm.

According to the preliminary autopsy report, Shakti died due to pneumonia resulting in respiratory failure.

The Zoo has clarified that a report on the cause of death will be submitted after the detailed autopsy report is received.

Besides, samples of tiger's organs have been sent to the Wildlife Research and Training Centre at Gorewada in Nagpur for further examination. Their report is pending.

The details of Shakti tiger's death have been communicated to the Central Zoo Authority and Maharashtra State Zoo Authority through an email dated November 18, as per the rules.

Shakti tiger has been cremated as per zoo etiquette.

The Zoo management also clarified that at present, the tiger Jai (aged 3 years) and the tigress Karishma (aged 11 and a half years) are available for exhibition at the zoo.