Tata Steel Zoological Park on Thursday launched Operation Clean at the 1,490 sqm tiger enclosure.
The initiative has been taken following recent deaths of two tigers due to suspected Babesiosis. While a female cub died on March 18, adolescent Ahana breathed her last on March 25.
Workers were involved in removing slush from the moat and also excavating soil from the enclosure.
At present, there are four tigers, five lions and four leopards. A seven-month-old female tiger cub died of Babesiosis on March 18 and the tigress Ahana succumbed to the same disease.
The female tigress Ahana, aged three and half years, died in the Zoological Park on the night of March 25. The sub-adult female tigress Ahana was born to Shanti and Raghav on August 28, 2014 at the Tata Steel Zoological Park.
Tata Steel Zoological Park, a recognised medium category zoo by Central Zoo Authority, Government of India, has been working towards conservation of endangered species like Bengal tiger, whose population in wild has nosedived to around 2200 and above.
On the other hand, due to scientific management adopted by the zoo, there has been success in breeding of tigers in captivity after a lull since 1999.
As result of the Management’s effort, a male tiger Raghav was acquired from Assam State Zoo Guwahati in 2010 and paired with Shanti the zoo born female tiger. Shanti gave birth to Dona in the year 2012 later followed by Ahana and Vivaan in 2014.