White tiger ‘Aakash’ dies of congestive heart failure at Kanan Pendari Zoo in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: A 10-year-old white tiger died of congestive heart failure at Kanan Pendari Zoo in Bilaspur district, about 110-km from the state capital. The incident occurred on Monday at 9.11am when ‘Aakash’, the white tiger, passed away.
The zookeeper, who arrived to clean the cage and sprayed water, noticed Aakash was motionless. Realising something was wrong, the zookeeper immediately informed the authorities. Kanan’s wildlife veterinarian, Dr P K Chandan, rushed to the spot and confirmed the tiger's death.
A post-mortem, conducted in the presence of wildlife experts, determined the cause of death to be a heart attack. The tiger was cremated in the presence of forest officials.
The white tiger was in a closed cage. As per routine, the zookeeper arrived to clean the enclosure and began hosing it down. The tiger was lying motionless. The keeper assumed it was asleep and sprinkled water, but the tiger showed no response.
Two white tigresses, Siddhi and Isha, remain at the zoo. These white tigers are a major attraction for visitors. Notably, Isha is Aakash's offspring.
The tiger's sudden death shocked zoo officials. Senior authorities were immediately informed. Following directives, a three-member district-level veterinary team, along with Dr Chandan, conducted the post-mortem, confirming the heart attack.
Zoo management reviewed CCTV footage, following forest department orders. The footage showed Aakash pacing inside the cage during the night and appearing healthy at 7:00 AM. However, his condition deteriorated around 8:51 AM, and he collapsed by 9:11 AM.
Following Aakash’s death, only two white tigers now remain at Kanan Pendari Zoo — tigresses Siddhi and Isha. The incident has raised concerns about zoo management.
Dr Chandan told TOI that a tiger’s lifespan in the wild is about 14-15 years and in a zoo it is 18-19 years. “Heart failure can happen to anyone. The tiger did not show any symptom of illness before the death,” Dr Chandan said. He added that white tigers are more sensitive than other species in its family.
“White tiger is not a breed unlike other species. It is a Bengal tiger and it turns white when albinism becomes high in it,” said Dr Chandan.