The BMC said Shakti’s death followed sudden complications linked to pneumonia. The tiger had no prior symptoms. Authorities notified the Central Zoo Authority and performed last rites per protocol
Shakti was brought to the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo on February 12, 2020. Pic/By Special Arrangement
Byculla Zoo’s nine-year-old Royal Bengal tiger Shakti died on November 17, 2025. Shakti and his mate Karishma were brought to the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo from the Siddhartha Garden and Zoo, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, on February 12, 2020. In a statement issued Wednesday, the BMC said Shakti died due to respiratory failure caused by pneumonia, dismissing social media claims that a bone had gotten stuck in his respiratory tract while feeding.
Zoo officials said Shakti refused food on November 15 and was kept under veterinary observation. He was administered medicines through water. On November 16, he ate chicken and water but later regurgitated it. On November 17, while being taken into a cage for a health check-up, the tiger suffered a sudden convulsion and died at 12.15 pm. “Shakti had no previous symptoms of illness,” the statement said.
A professor from the department of veterinary pathology, Mumbai Veterinary College, Parel, conducted the autopsy the same day. The preliminary report confirmed pneumonia-induced respiratory failure as the cause of death. Samples of Shakti’s organs have been sent to the Wildlife Research and Training Centre, Gorewada, Nagpur, for further analysis. The final report is awaited.
The BMC said detailed information on Shakti’s death was shared with the Central Zoo Authority and Maharashtra State Zoo Authority on November 18, as per protocol. His last rites were performed according to the zoo’s norms.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
