Royal Bengal tigress dies at Jharkhali Tiger Rescue Centre

A Royal Bengal tigress, identified as ‘Thakurani’, has died at the Jharkhali Tiger Rescue Centre in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The approximately 13-year-old animal’s health declined suddenly on Monday, and she passed away while undergoing treatment on Tuesday.

Thakurani was originally rescued from a sandbar in the Thakuran river within the Sundarbans in December 2024 after forest workers noticed her walking with difficulty and exhibiting unusual behavior. Following her rescue, she was transferred to the Alipore Zoological Gardens in Kolkata for advanced veterinary care. After several months of treatment and improvement, she was moved back to the Jharkhali facility in March 2025.

Forest department officials stated that an autopsy has been conducted to determine the exact cause of death. This incident marks the second recent tiger death at the Jharkhali facility.