Bengal tigress at Karachi zoo dies after prolonged illness

A Bengal tigress housed at the Karachi zoo died last week, the Karachi Zoological Garden, which is under the administrative control of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), revealed on Saturday.

KMC officials said the tigress was 30 years old, and she had died of natural causes. The average lifespan of Bengal tigresses is between 18 and 20 years, said the zoo staff.

The zoo administration confirmed the death, adding that she had passed away a week ago after a prolonged illness. Her death comes after African elephant Noor Jehan, 17, lost her battle against a blood parasite disease at the Karachi zoo in April 2023 after years in captivity.

According to Pakistan Animal Welfare Society Co-founder Mahera Omar, animals in captivity generally do not live as long as those in the wild. “They are more vulnerable to diseases due to being confined,” she told Geo.tv.

“Big cats kept in captivity suffer from zoochosis — a form of psychosis involving unnatural behaviour such as pacing back and forth, biting the cage bars, and excessive licking,” she said, adding that this behaviour is not limited to cats; wolves, bears and other animals also display similar signs.

She explained that captivity takes a physical and mental toll on wild animals, as their behavioural, psychological and social needs are not met, which shortens their lifespan.

She said a caged animal is not a happy animal, as they all remain miserable. “We need to think about phasing out our zoos, as there are other ways to teach children about wild animals in this age of information,” she added, stressing the need to establish wildlife sanctuaries.

She pointed out that there is no need to lock up animals in such a “cruel” manner, because no one learns anything from it.