Eight-year-old white tiger dies of tumour at Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad

In an unfortunate incident, a white male tiger aged about eight years of age passed away on Thursday at Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad. It was suffering from a neoplastic tumour in the right side of its lower jaw.  The tiger 'Kiran' was under the intensive care of the zoological park.

'Father & grandfather also died of tumour'

"It is informed that the white tiger Kiran, about eight years of age, which was born in Nehru Zoological Park passed away on June 25 at 9.15 am. The parents of Kiran are Badri and Sameera," read a press note from the Nehru Zoological Park.

The release said, "A few years back, father of Kiran, Badri and his grandfather Rudra died from a neoplastic tumour at the jaw at the age of 12. The grandfather also died of the tumour at the age of 14."

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Keeping in mind Kiran's health, LaCONES (Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species), Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), in Hyderabad, was approached to study the causes of neoplastic tumour in white tigers.

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A post-mortem was conducted and lesions were observed and a hard mass of approximately 500 grams was found necrosed, extended into the lower jaw.

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"The lungs are infiltrated with small neoplastic tumours by which, the total lung collapsed leading to death associated with asphyxia," the release said. All the samples were collected and sent to VBRI, Shantinagar, Hyderabad for further examination.

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(With agency inputs)