A male sloth bear died at the Animal Rescue Centre (ARC) in the early hours of March 30 (Saturday), according to officials of the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP). The animal, aged over 30 years, was rescued from Vajrapu Kothuru of Srikakulam district in 2019 and kept at the ARC, said Zoo Curator Dr. Nandani Salaria.
She also said that the cause of death was due to old age/senility as per the post-mortem report submitted by the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon. The average lifespan of a sloth bear in the wild is around 25 years and in this case, it has lived its life, she said, adding that the best care and treatment was given to the animal from 2019 to 2024 by the IGZP team.