The last Royal Bengal tiger at Delhi zoo has died of multiple organ failure due to its old age.
According to zoo officials, 20-year-old Ramu died yesterday evening after he turned immobile for the last few months.
"It was suffering from various age related problems for the last few months and was being treated regularly for that...It succumbed yesterday due to lung, liver and kidney failure," the zoo veterinarian Paneer Selvam said.
With Ramu's death, the Delhi zoo is now left with four Royal Bengal tigresses Rani, Xingxing, Priya and Kunti.
A Royal Bengal tiger has a life span of around 16-18 years in wild, while in captivity they may live up to the age of 20-21.
"Ramu was born and brought up in captivity at Indore zoo and was brought to the National Zoological Park only in 1999," Delhi zoo curator Riyaz Ahmed Khan said.
"We are planning to replace Ramu's loss by bringing in a tiger from somewhere, so that we can start with our breeding process," he said.
The zoo authorities also informed that they are expecting the birth of a white tiger very soon.
