Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, July 3:

Twenty-one-year-old tigress Sushama died at the Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) on the outskirts of Odisha capital this morning.

Representative Pic (Courtesy: www.thehindu.com) Representative Pic (Courtesy: www.thehindu.com)

She was undergoing treatment since last three years at the zoo for her old age-related complications.

Born on December 29, 1995 to Debasish-Yamuna, Sushama breathed her last at around 8.20 am this morning.

“The average lifespan of the tigers is about 20 years. Sushama had been ailing since long for age-related diseases for which she was undergoing treatment under the supervision of veterinary doctors of the zoo,” an NZP official said.

According to tiger census reports, there were 45 tigers at the NZP in 2006. In the last decade, the population has dropped significantly to less than half. There are as many as 21 big cats left in the zoo.