Twenty-one-year-old tigress Sushama, the oldest at the Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) here, died on Sunday morning.
According to Nandankanan officials, Sushama, born to Debashish and Yamuna on December 29, 1995, was undergoing treatment since last three years due to old age ailments. She breathed her last at around 8.20 am this morning.
After Sushama’s death, there are now 21 tigers left in Nandankanan, 15 normal colour tigers (NCT) and six white tigers.
“The average lifespan of the tigers is about 20 years. Sushama had been ailing since long for age-related diseases for which she was undergoing treatment under the supervision of veterinary doctors of the zoo,” said a zoo official.
According to tiger census reports, there were 45 tigers at the park in 2006. In the last decade, the population has dropped significantly to less than half.