In rather sad news for animal lovers, an 18-year-old tiger ‘Nandan’ died at the Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
As per reports, the big cat was undergoing treatment for complications associated with advancing age for some days. It had a waist-related problem for which the orthopaedic department was treating it. It spent its last days in the zoo’s enclosure number 31.
It was first spotted near the white tiger safari area of the zoo on March 24, 2013. Thereafter, it was frequently sighted in the zoo. Later, the tiger was christened as ‘Nandan’ and kept in the zoo with permission from the Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi.
At the time of confinement, it was just seven years old.
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As per zoo sources, Nandan played a vital role in the conservation breeding programme, siring a total of nine cubs over three litters from two tigresses.
It sired two litters with tigress Magha (two male cubs named Bahubali and Kundan on April 20, 2016; two males and one female cub named Abhay Bibek and Sohini on April 14, 2021) and one litter with tigress Ankita (three females and one male cub named Jayashree, Shree, Trupti and Amit on February 17, 2023).