White tigress Sneha dies at Nandankanan Zoo in Odisha

A 14-year-old white tigress Sneha died at her enclosure in Nandankanan Zoological Park on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar city on Friday, officials said.

The white tigress fell ill on Thursday and was under medication. She was administered saline and medicines but died this morning.

According to the official, apart from her old age ailments, she could have been afflicted with the prevailing intense heat wave.

Born to Royal Bengal tiger Nishan and white tigress Kusum on March 1, 2010, Sneha delivered three cubs, Mousumi (female), Chinu (male) and rare melanistic Vicky (male), on August 5, 2016, and Luv and Kush during her second pregnancy.

On March 28, 2021, she gave birth to three normal male tiger cubs, Rakesh, Rocky and Banshi.

Earlier in October 2022, the zoo had lost 11-year-old white tigress Bijaya, who succumbed to a cancerous growth in her lungs.

A five-year-old white male tiger named Subhranshu also died due to liver-related ailments in October 2019.

Official sources said the zoo had 27 tigers, including seven white and three melanistic tigers, till July 2023.

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