India's oldest Royal Bengal tiger passes away in West Bengal

"With a very sad heart, this is to inform you that 'Raja' the tiger from SKB Rescue Center, died today morning around 3 a.m. He died at the age of 25 years and 10 months making him one of the longest surviving tigers in the country," forest department officials said. Raja's body has been sent for postmortem, while the reports are awaited.

Alipurduar (West Bengal):Raja, one of the oldest tigers in India, passed away at 25 years of age on Monday in West Bengal. A species of the Royal Bengal Tiger, the canine was lodged at the South Khairbari Tiger Rescue Center in North Bengal after he had suffered around 10 crocodile bite injuries in the Sunderbans in a territorial fight a few years ago.

"With a very sad heart, this is to inform you that 'Raja' the tiger from SKB Rescue Center, died today morning around 3 a.m. He died at the age of 25 years and 10 months making him one of the longest surviving tigers in the country," forest department officials said. Raja's body has been sent for postmortem, while the reports are awaited.

Brought to West Bengal at the age of 11 in August 2008, Raja was recovering well under the care of forest worker Parthasarathi Sinha, but failed to recover fully due to old age. He was reportedly spotted crossing the Malta river in the Sunderbans while he had suffered the said injuries. The forest officials had then shifted him to the rehabilitation centre in West Bengal.

Veterinary doctor Pralay Mandal along with Wildlife Guard Partha Sarthi Sinha and other staff members, with utmost dedication and labour, had then healed the magnificent beast at South Khairbari, an official informed. Tigers usually have a life span of around 25-30 years when kept in captivity.

District Magistrate of Alipurduar, Surendra Kumar Meena, Directorate of Forests in Jaldapara, Dipak M and other officers of the forest department and district administration along with zoo staff paid homage to Raja.

In January 2014, the then oldest tiger living in a captive environment, 26-year-old Guddu, died at the Kanpur zoo in Uttar Pradesh.