13-year-old paralysed white tigress dies at Vandalur zoo

Suffering from Ataxia, a white tigress Akanksha (13) died in its night cell around 9 pm on Wednesday at Arignar Anna Zoological Park (Vandalur zoo).

Authorities said that the tigress had been ill and treated for Ataxia for the past two weeks. Ataxia is a neurological condition that affects balance and coordination. It occurs primarily due to damage to the brain, nerves, or muscles. The tigress had difficulty in moving her legs due to Ataxia.

During treatment, the carnivore had shown paralytic symptoms of the entire body and limbs. She did not respond well to the treatment for many days and was off feeding for the past two days. Akansha did not consume any kind of food and had very restricted movement.

The zoo officials said that she died despite all taking efforts to save the animal. The post-mortem formalities will be conductedw as per due procedure by experts in Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS).

It may be recalled that 10 animals have died due to several reasons at the Vandalur zoo since January this year including tigers, leopard and bear. As many as 70 of them have died since last year.