Raza Our Oldest Tiger
By Bipul K Debnath
The average life span of a Royal Bengal tiger in the wild is 8 to 10 years, and it can live up to 15 years in captivity. But Raza, who is almost 19, has beaten the odds.
On a recent visit to Bangladesh National Zoo at Mirpur, Raza, whose name means king in Bangla, was seen resting inside his own cage, obviously tired and drowsy. But when it was time for a meal, he got up and moved slowly towards the food that was put on the concrete floor.
After sniffing the food _ slices of beef liver_ he went to the water pot instead. He must have been feeling thirsty. But he did not take a drink. He was walking like a sick animal, almost purring. After moving around for a while, he again lay down for a nap, instead of eating his food.
The above scenario is not the natural characteristic of a tiger. A tiger is a regal animal, its roar creates panic and its pounce to catch a prey is a sight to behold.
Raza was born on August 2, 1998, in our zoo. He will turn 19 soon. We know that in captivity, the life span of a tiger is maximum 15 years. So, Raza has already exceeded his life expectancy. Now he is suffering from various old-age ailments. He takes less food than his daily requirement. Most of the time, he sleeps and does not move a lot. We are trying our best to keep him well, said Golam Azam, a zoo officer.
Faruque Hossain, is a caretaker for Raza and provides him with food every day, said:
Every morning, my first duty is to prepare food for Raza. As he is old and has lost most of his teeth, he cannot eat hard pieces of meat. So, I give him soft pieces, like liver. I slice the meat so that he can eat easily.
Hossain, 40, was not wearing any protective clothing while giving food to Raza. I am used to serving him food like this, it is not a problem. Sometimes, he even refuses to eat if he finds me absent. Raza is like my own son. I feel sad when I see him sick. Day by day, his capacity to move is reducing and thus, he faces different problems, he shared.
About the tigers at the zoo, Nazrul Islam, curator of Bangladesh National Zoo, said: Raza is the most aged tiger in Bangladesh now, as far as we know. There are eight other tigers in our zoo. Among them, five are male and three are female. Most of our tigers are physically fit. Raza is the most senior tiger. The youngest tiger in our zoo is eight years old. We have kept Raza separate for providing him with better treatment. As he is old, he needs extra care. So, our officials are doing their best to ensure his good health. We are proud to be taking care of him.
Waliur Rahman, information officer of the zoo, added: A few months ago, Raza appeared sick when he was with the other tigers in the common cage. Then we brought him to this cage for his proper care. After getting regular treatment, he is better now.
Some visitors were also seen eagerly visiting Razas cage. I am a grade seven student. It is my first time seeing tigers, though I have watched many tigers on Discovery Channel. I feel very sad for Raza. He has trouble moving his body. I think he needs more care, said 12-year-old Laboni Akhter, who came to the zoo with her parents.
Another visitor, Saiful Islam, 24, added: This is my first time at the zoo, too. I only watched tigers on television before. But today, I feel lucky to see a tiger with my own eyes. I hope every visitor will come to see Raza. For that, the authorities should do more publicity to make people aware about the presence of this old tiger. Besides, they should get advice from global tiger experts on how to take care of an aged tiger.
Photos: Nazmul Islam, Writer.
