Nagpur: The much-loved tiger ‘Sahebrao’, a major attraction at Gorewada Zoo, passed away on Friday night after a prolonged illness. The 17-year-old male tiger, officially named GT-1, was famous among visitors because one of his paws had been amputated and attempts were made to fit him with an artificial limb.
Sahebrao’s struggle began in 2012, when he was trapped in a snare in the Pharasgaon-Safalya area of the Bramhapuri Forest Division. The incident left one of his paws severely damaged. With no proper facilities available locally for his care, he was shifted to Maharajbagh Zoo, Nagpur, on December 7, 2012.
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In 2016, he was relocated to the Gorewada Wildlife Rescue Centre under the Gorewada Project, where he spent the rest of his life.
Battle against illness
From August 5, Sahebrao began showing signs of weakness. Following multiple medical tests, he was kept under close observation and treated by veterinarians from the Wildlife Research and Training Centre (WRTC). Despite efforts, his condition worsened, and he died around 1 am on August 22 during treatment. Veterinary experts confirmed that the cause of death was multiple organ failure.
Post-mortem and cremation
The post-mortem was carried out by Dr. Sonkusre (Nagpur Veterinary College), Dr. Sujit Kolangath, and Dr. Mayur Pawari (WRTC), in the presence of Nandkishor Raut (Divisional Manager), Dr. Vinod Dhoot (Deputy Director, WRTC), Kuldeep Shinde (Assistant Manager), Aarti Punse (Range Forest Officer), and forest guards.
Following the examination, Sahebrao’s body was cremated with due procedure.
