White Tiger Sharan Dies At Kakatiya Zoo, Activists Cry Foul Over Hasty Funeral
Zoo officials attributed the death to natural causes, highlighting that the tiger has outlived the average species lifespan of 14 years: Reports
WARANGAL: Kakatiya Zoological Park along the Hunter Road in Hanamkonda has lost one of its star attractions – white male tiger Sharan during the early hours of Tuesday.
Zoo officials attributed the death to natural causes, highlighting that the tiger has outlived the average species lifespan of 14 years. Area wildlife activists have raised serious allegations over the animal’s negligence and hasty funeral.
According to the District Forest Officer Lavanya and Forest Range Officer of the Kakatiya Zoo Mayuri, Sharan had been under constant veterinary supervision for the past two months, battling age-related hypertension (BP), cardiac issues and renal kidney failure.
Despite on-going treatment, the big cat suffered a fatal heart attack in the early hours. Following the instructions of high Forest authorities, a post-mortem had been conducted by a medical team including Dr. Karunakar Reddy (Veterinary Assistant Surgeon), Dr. Nagamani (Assistant Director) and Dr. Chandravathi (Associate Professor, PVNRTVU). The team performed the post-mortem on-site to verify the physiological causes of death before submitting a formal report to the Forest Department’s head office.
The incident has taken a controversial turn with members of the Orugallu Wildlife Society (OWLS), led by I. Nageshwar Rao. The society has questioned the zoo's transparency, alleging that the funeral had been conducted hastily without informing the media or NGOs.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Nageshwar Rao observed that the tiger appeared to be in good condition just three days ago. Sudden vomiting and organ damage suggest potential food poisoning or consumption of contaminated meat, he charged, demanding a deeper investigation into the sudden decline of the animal's health.
Sharan had come to the Kakatiya Zoological Park in July 2025 from Nehru Zoological Park at Hyderabad. The white tiger’s presence significantly increased the footfall during the recent local holidays.
In light of the questions raised, the Forest department is expected to perform the final post-mortem, whose report will be made public after laboratory analysis of the internal organs is completed.