Full-term pregnant tigress dies in Rajasthan's Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve

The tigress was pregnant with three cubs and was the only female big cat in the reserve

A nine-year-old full-term pregnant tigress, suffering from severe constipation, has died at the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) during treatment, officials said.

The tigress -- MT-4 -- was pregnant with three cubs and was the only female big cat in the reserve. Officials on Thursday said the tigress was leading a healthy life, seen chasing a herd of animals on April 27 in the reserve.

However, it was first spotted suffering from a possible colic pain on April 29. Following this, a team of veterinarians from Ranthambore and Kota monitored it throughout the day on April 30 and found suffering from severe constipation in colic and intestine, the officials said.

The tigress was tranquilised on May 1 and administered enema. Fecaliths (stone-like hard stool) were evacuated from the tigress twice, the officials added.

According to them, the monitoring team on Wednesday reported something hanging out of the tigress' anus, which was later diagnosed as prolapse of the rectum, generally found among cattle.

On the recommendation of inserting the rectum and anus into its place in joint consultation with experts of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and doctors from Jaipur, Ranthambore and Kota, a team of veterinarians tranquillised the big cat at 8.54 am on Thursday, field director of MHTR Sharda Pratap Singh said.

Though the tigress regained consciousness at 10.38 am, its respiration suddenly stopped and died around 1.15 pm on Thursday, he added.

"It is the first case of prolapse of rectum with a tiger in the country and top wildlife experts were involved in deciding the course of treatment," Singh said.

Post-mortem revealed that the tigress was full-term pregnant with three cubs, Tejendra Riyad, a member of the team of veterinarians that conducted the autopsy on Thursday evening, said, adding the tigress was to deliver the cubs in the next few days.

"It is not the loss of one tigress, but four tigers in MHTR,” he added.

Terming the sudden death of MT-4 as a major setback to MHTR and tourism in Hadouti, wildlife enthusiasts raised questions over alleged infectious tigers from Ranthambore having been shifted to MHTR.

Veterinary doctors, at the time of the death of tigers in MHTR in 2020, had pointed at possible genetic infection in tigers in Ranthambore, wildlife enthusiast Brijesh Vijavergiya said, demanding an investigation into the aspect of genetic infection in tigers at Ranthambore.