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Royal Bengal tigress dies at Jharkhali tiger rescue centre in Sundarbans

Kolkata, Aug 11 (IANS) A Royal Bengal tigress, aged about 13 years, died at the Jharkhali Tiger Rescue Centre in Sundarbans in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, said forest department officials on Tuesday.

The physical condition of the tigress suddenly deteriorated on Monday.

Although forest workers started treatment quickly, the tigress could not be saved.

The tigress died while undergoing treatment.

An autopsy has already been done on her body to find out the real cause of death.

The forest department is now waiting for the autopsy report.

According to forest department officials, the tigress was rescued from the Chulkati forest of the Sundarbans in December 2024 in a seriously ill condition. She was seen roaming around the forest in ill condition for several days.

She was also having trouble walking normally. After the matter came to the attention of the forest workers, efforts were started to rescue her.

The forest workers were finally able to rescue the tigress after finding a cage. However, her physical condition was quite bad at the time of rescue.

Considering the situation, instead of local treatment, she was taken to the Alipore Zoo in Kolkata for advanced treatment.

The tigress was treated at the Alipore Zoo for about four months. She was kept under the supervision of doctors and specialists. After long treatment, her physical condition gradually improved. Then, by March 2025, she was brought back to the Jharkhali Tiger Rescue Centre.

The forest department claimed that the tigress was fairly well after returning to Jharkhali. However, her body was weak since the time of her rescue. As a result, her physical condition was monitored regularly. The situation changed on Monday morning. It came to the attention of the forest workers that the tigress was not moving normally and was quite lethargic.

Later, she was also diagnosed with fever. Immediate treatment was arranged while necessary medicines and care were started.

However, the tigress did not respond to treatment. She eventually died while undergoing treatment.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of South 24 Parganas Forest Division, Nisha Goswami, told media persons, “The tigress was rescued from the forest of Chulkati in a very sick condition in December 2024. After treatment, she was doing well at the Jharkhali Tiger Rescue Centre. She fell ill on Monday morning. Despite treatment, she could not be saved. An autopsy has been conducted to find out the exact cause of death.”

–IANS

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