Tigress Bijalee Dies at 18 at Sanjay Gandhi National Park

Tigress Bijalee, who had been housed at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) since 2016, died on Wednesday night at the age of approximately 18 years and four months.

According to the park administration, Bijalee died at around 9:45 pm on September 16 following health issues that officials have attributed to her advanced age. A post-mortem examination will be conducted to establish the exact cause of death.

Health Had Been Closely Monitored

SGNP authorities said Bijalee had shown a gradual decline in food intake since last month. Following the change in her health, she was kept under close observation and received veterinary treatment and supportive care under the guidance of the Technical Veterinary Advisory Team of Western Maharashtra.

Despite continued treatment and monitoring, the tigress died on Wednesday night, officials said.

Bijalee Was Brought to SGNP in 2016

Bijalee was brought to Sanjay Gandhi National Park from Pench Tiger Reserve on July 11, 2016. During her approximately decade-long stay at SGNP, she became familiar to visitors as well as the park's veterinary and animal-care teams.

According to the park administration, she was also associated with wildlife management, conservation education and captive animal-care activities during her years at SGNP.

Post-Mortem to Establish Exact Cause

While the park administration has attributed Bijalee's death to age-related health complications, officials said a standard post-mortem examination would be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

Following her death, the SGNP administration appealed to wildlife enthusiasts and visitors who had seen or photographed Bijalee over the years to share their memories and photographs on social media as a tribute.

Bijalee's death marks the end of her decade-long association with Sanjay Gandhi National Park, where she had remained under the care of the park authorities since 2016.