White tigress 'Riddhi' dies at Bhopal's Van Vihar National Park

Bhopal, Sep 19 (PTI) A 15-year-old white tigress, 'Riddhi', a prime attraction for visitors at Bhopal's Van Vihar National Park for several years, has died possibly due to old-age related problems, a veterinarian said on Thursday.
Riddhi was brought to Van Vihar from Indore zoo under an animal exchange programme when she was four-year-old.
The while tigress, now aged 15, was housed in an enclosure and was one of the main attractions for visitors at the national park.
"Since the last two days, the tigress had not taken her regular meals, which was a normal practice for her. She appeared normal in her enclosure till Wednesday, but on Thursday morning, the animal was found unconscious," said the park's wildlife veterinarian, Atul Gupta.
After a medical examination, Riddhi was declared dead, he said, adding the carcass was disposed of as per norms after an autopsy.
Prima facie, the wild animal's cause of the death was failure of internal organs due to old-age, Gupta informed.
Tigers normally have a life-span of 15 to 16 years in the wild, whereas in captivity they survive for a comparatively longer period due to the protected environment and care given to them, according to wildlife experts.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)