A male tiger, which had been captured in Wayanad a few months ago, died in the Thiruvananthapuram zoo on Saturday after suffering from age-related ailments.
The 14-year-old animal had been captured from the Chethalayath forest range in the South Wayanad Forest Division on March 25.
The tiger was caught by forest officials after it had attacked a forest watcher near Pulpally and killed numerous domestic animals, triggering panic in the region.
The ailing animal had shown signs of weakness and low appetite during the last few days.
It was confirmed dead by around 9 a.m. on Saturday, following which Chief Wildlife Warden Surendrakumar constituted an expert team to examine the cause of death.
A postmortem examination revealed cardiopulmonary failure which led to multi-organ dysfunction as the cause of death.
The carcass was burnt on the zoo premises by around 6.30 p.m.
The Forest Department had taken the call to rehabilitate the animal in the zoo after it was found to have lost its canine tooth and sustained injuries on its claw and an eye, possibly during a territorial clash with another tiger.
Injuries
The injuries rendered the tiger unable to survive in the wild, thereby necessitating the move to captivity.