21.4-year-old Nahargarh Biological Park tigress ‘Rambha’, the eldest big cat in captivity in Rajasthan, died in the park here Monday morning.
Born on August 28, 2004 in the Jaipur Zoo, in the Ramniwas Bagh here, Rambha was shifted to the Nahargarh biological park on the outskirts of the city along the Jaipur- Delhi Highway, a few years back. The tigress breathed her last this morning.
The mandatory postmortem was being done by senior veterinarian Dr Arvind Mathur, an official spokesman said.
Despite her natural death, the atmosphere in the park turned gloomy as the big cat, being the eldest tiger of the state, was a popular and most liked pet among the staff and visitors/tourists.
The spokesman said, “Tigers’ normal life span in the wild is considered to be 13-14 years and about 17 years in captivity. Rambha’s long and generally healthy life was a matter of pride for the park staff and the wildlife care providers, as it reflected on quality of care being provided to the big cats by the wildlife and veterinary experts in the state.