Pune: Tigress ‘Priyadarshini’ died in 21 old age in Zoology Park Rajiv Gandhi in Katraj on Friday night.
Park Director Rajkumar Jadhav said the usual age of the tiger was 15-16 years old.
“Priyadarshini died at 21, showing that the animal received adequate food care in the park.
It is a calm animal and never attack any staff in these years,” Jadhav said.
Priyadarshini was taken to Park Katraj from Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai in 2006.
The tiger was popular among visitors but had been turned off for the past five years because of the age of Zoo.
Dutta Chandne, a caregiver in the Tiger section of the Katraj Zoo, said unlike other animals, the zoo staff and caregivers call Priyadarshini as ‘Priya’.
“He will always greet me with his typical roar every time I go to the cage,” said Dutta Chandne, a tiger part guard.
“Every time I call him ‘Priya’, he will come to the cage door soon.
We have developed bonds for years,” Chandne recalled, who along with the veterinarian team had gone to Mumbai to bring Tigress to the zoo.
“In the early days, he was rather aggressive, but never created a problem for us.
He was famous among visitors.
His death was a personal loss and I would forever appreciate his beautiful memories of him,” Chandne added.
According to the procedure, park veterinarians do post-mortem and cremate a carcass in the park.
The zoo now accommodates four tigers and three tigresses.