Two young white tigers die at Chhatbir Zoo

Chandigarh, Sep 21 (UNI) The only two young white tigers at the famous Chhatbir Zoological Park near here in Patiala district have died under mysterious circumstances.

The postmortem reports, awaited from the Indian Veternary Research Institute (IVRI) in Uttaranchal and the Punjab Agricultural University's (PAU) Veterinary department, would reveal the exact cause of the deaths of three-year-old male Saurabh and three and half year old tigress Diya, Punjab Zoological Parks Field Director Dharmendra Sharma told UNI here today.

A team of doctors from the PAU were attending upon the wild mammals when they died yesterday. Saurabh died in the morning around 1030 hours, while Diya breathed her last a few hours later.

Refusing to comment further over the tragedy, he said the media would be informed about the cause of the deaths after the the post mortem reports were out.

The Chhatbir Zoo had only two young White Bengal tigers, and was planning to exchange one of those with a zoo in the northeast for a pair of leopards.

UNI PS SAM DB1147