Jaipur:
Two big cats have died in the last two days in Nahargarh Biological Park here due to leptospirosis, a bacterial infection, officials said on Thursday.
Rudra, an 18-month-old tiger had died on Tuesday, and an eight-and-a-half-year-old Asiatic lion Siddharth died on Wednesday, they said.
Siddharth was brought to the park from Gujarat in 2015.
The cause of death in both the cases is leptospirosis. The samples of both the big cats have been sent to Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly for further confirmation of the cause, said District Forest Officer Sudarshan Sharma.
The main source of leptospirosis is rat and mongoose urine.
Sharma said the screening of all the animals, along with a behavioral study, has been started.
The animal’s food intake, urine colour, oral or nasal discharge, physiological parameters etc. are assessed under the behavioral study.
In a day or two, random blood samples will be collected for testing for their health assessment, Sharma said.
Sources claimed that the food intake of these felines had reduced in the last three-four days.
In around nine months, five felines have died at NBP, including Rudra and Siddharth.
Currently, there are 11 big cats in the Nahargarh Biological Park, including three Asiatic lions.
