Bhubaneswar: The Nandankanan Zoological Park bids farewell to one of its cherished inhabitants, ‘Sneha’, the 14-year-old white tigress. Tragically, Sneha succumbed to her ailments while undergoing treatment at the zoo on Friday.
Sneha’s health had taken a downturn on Thursday, prompting immediate medical attention. Regrettably, despite the best efforts of the zoo’s veterinary team, her condition did not improve. The tigress was battling age-related ailments exacerbated by the sweltering heatwave that has gripped the region in recent days.
Born on March 1, 2010, to the Royal Bengal tiger ‘Nishan’ and white tigress ‘Kusum’, Sneha had left an indelible mark on the zoo community. Her legacy extends beyond her own existence, as she proudly mothered eight tigers during her tenure at the zoo.
Among her notable contributions to the zoo’s population were three tiger cubs – Mousumi, Chinu, and the rare melanistic Vicky, born on August 5, 2016. Subsequently, Sneha welcomed two male tiger cubs, Luv and Kush, following her second pregnancy. Her final litter, born on March 28, 2021, consisted of three male tiger cubs – Rakesh, Rocky, and Banshi, sired by the tiger Saif.