The Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivali lost its last surviving white tiger on Friday when Bajirao, the 18-year-old male tiger, passed away at 5.30 a.m.
The big cat was suffering from chronic ankylosis in his left shoulder and senile arthritis for the past four years. He had been unable to walk for the past 10 days.
Bajirao was cremated after a post-mortem by Bombay Veterinary College’s (BVC) pathology department. “The report is expected by Monday or Tuesday,” said Dr. Prashant Gadhawe, a pathologist at the hospital. Earlier, a group of doctors from BVC and retired veterinarians from the national park examined Bajirao. They suggested the line of treatment to be taken, keeping in mind his old age.
“Due to loss of a lot of hair from his body, taxidermy was not possible at all,” said Dr. Santosh Gaikwad, taxidermist and professor at BVC.
Bajirao was born to Renuka and Siddharth at SGNP in 2001. Siddharth died at the age of 20 to age-related issues in 2015, making Bajirao the last surviving white tiger.
Siddharth was brought to the SGNP from Aurangabad zoo and was the oldest tiger in the park after Palaash, a 13-year-old Royal Bengal Tiger, who died due to old age in October 2016.