Mysore zoo loses tiger, leopard in a single day

MYSORE: Mysore zoo’s longtime residents — a tiger and a leopard — died on Tuesday, bringing down the number of big cats at the conservation centre to 13.

Nineteen-year-old Madhukeshwara, one of the oldest tigers here, succumbed to cancer. He was brought to Mysore from Shimoga’s Tyavarekoppa tiger-and-lion safari 12 years ago. Zoo executive director B P Ravi said the tiger was diagnosed with a tumour in the hip region three months ago, and it was surgically removed on June 18. But the tiger didn’t recover from postoperative complications and died on Tuesday afternoon.

The animal’s samples sent to a laboratory attached to the Bangalore-based Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Biologicals confirmed that the tumour had turned malignant and turned cancerous a little later. In his 12-year stay at the zoo, Madhukeshwara didn’t add to the growth of his tribe, and the number of animals now stands at 13 — seven adults and six cubs. The tiger’s death comes one month after the zoo successfully managed to bring together two wild tigers from different habitats and added a new bloodline of cubs. In the second tragedy in the day, 12-year-old leopard Pushkar died of old age. Pushkar wasn’t keeping well for five days. Despite treatment, the animal died due to constipation and senility, zoo doctors said.