A nine-year-old Royal Bengal Tiger, Shakti, the star attraction of Mumbai’s Byculla Zoo, has sadly passed away. He breathed his last on November 17 after sudden complications linked to pneumonia. Officials of the BMC confirmed the news on Wednesday, and his last rites were performed as per protocol.
Star Tiger Shakti Passes Away At Mumbai’s Byculla Zoo
This is indeed very sad news. Wildlife lovers across India are mourning at this moment. Shakti was one of the main attractions of Byculla’s Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo. According to a report by The Times of India, the tiger was brought along with tigress Karishma in 2020 from Siddhartha Garden and Zoo, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Aurangabad an exchange programme.
Shakti had not eaten food on November 15, which was strange for a big cat. Following that, he was kept under medical supervision and was given only water to drink. On November 16, Shakti was fed some chicken meal and water, after which he vomited. On November 17, he was taken for a medical check-up when he experienced convulsions and collapsed. Shakti had no prior history of any disease.
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Autopsy Confirms Pneumonia-Linked Respiratory Failure
According to a report by Mid-Day, a professor from the Department of Veterinary Pathology, Mumbai Veterinary College, Parel, conducted the autopsy the same day. The preliminary report confirmed pneumonia-induced respiratory failure as the cause of death. Samples of Shakti’s organs have also been sent to the Wildlife Research and Training Centre, Gorewada, Nagpur, for further analysis. Authorities are now awaiting the final report.
The BMC told Mid-Day that the news of Shakti’s death was also shared with the Central Zoo Authority and the Maharashtra State Zoo Authority on November 18. His last rites were performed according to the zoo’s protocols. According to a report by The Times of India, Shakti and Karishma had three cubs together named Veera, Jay and Rudra. Veera passed away in May 2022, less than a year after her birth, due to health complications.
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It is indeed very sad news. Rest in peace and run free, Shakti. You were the star of Byculla Zoo and will forever remain in everyone’s memories.
Cover Image Courtesy: @KuldeepRat11052/ X