Tigress Dashami dies at Shivamogga zoo

Dashami, a 17-year-old tigress, died at the Tyavarekoppa Tiger and Lion Safari here on Sunday (September 6), after suffering from an old age-related illness and multiple organ failure.

The tigress breathed her last around 11.25 a.m., according to a press communique released by V.M. Amarakshara, executive director of the zoo. According to the communique, she died of geriatric complications, particularly paraplegia, which had set in suddenly; she had been undergoing treatment for the last 10 days.

Dashami was one of two tigers born at the zoo on October 19, 2009, during the Vijaya Dashami festival. The other tiger, Vijaya, had died in February 2025.

A postmortem will be conducted on Monday (September 7) by a team comprising veterinarians from the Veterinary College in Shivamogga, the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals in Hebbal, Bengaluru, and the Veterinary Officer of Shivamogga Zoo, the communique added.

With Dashami’s death, seven tigers remain at the zoo — five females (Nivedita, Poornima, Sita, Shravani and Rohini) and two males (Bhadra and Vikram).