Delhi zoo lost its last male Royal Bengal tiger on Monday. The tiger died of multiple organ failure due to his old age, said Delhi zoo officials.
Ramu, who was 20-years old, died on Monday evening. The zoo officials confirmed that the tiger turned immobile few months ago. Elaborating on the health of the tiger, zoo veterinarian Paneer Selvam said, “The tiger was suffering from various age related problems for the last few months and was being treated regularly for that. It succumbed due to lung, liver and kidney failure.” The Delhi zoo is now left with four Royal Bengal tigresses: Rani, Xingxing, Priya and Kunti. Ramu has a daughter cub too in Delhi zoo. Ramu was brought to Delhi from Indore on August 17, 1999. He was born on August 30, 1992 in Indore. Delhi zoo curator Riyaz Ahmed Khan told this newspaper that Ramu fell sick last winter, but gradually recovered. The zoo authorities also informed that they are expecting the birth of a white tiger very soon.
“We are planning to cross-breed a Royal Bengal tiger with a white tiger,” said Mr Khan.
A Royal Bengal tiger has a life span of around 16-18 years in the wild, while in captivity they may live up to the age of 20-21, said zoo authorities.
The Delhi Zoo is in the process of writing a letter to Central Zoo Authority, asking it to give a Royal Bengal Tiger within the zoo exchange programme. “We are planning to replace Ramu’s loss by bringing in a tiger from somewhere, so that we can start with our breeding process,” said Khan.