Mumbai: SGNP's star attraction tiger Yash diagnosed with cancer

Yash is a star in the captive tiger safari at SGNP

Bad news for wildlife and nature lovers. Yash, one of the star attractions on the captive tiger safari at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) has been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer.

Dr Shailesh Pethe, veterinary officer at SGNP, said, "Eleven-year-old Yash was operated on twice for a growth on his face in the last one year after he was diagnosed with a extremely rare form of cancer. Pathologists of Mumbai Veterinary College said Yash is suffering from an embryonal type of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. This was confirmed after samples had been sent for further tests to various labs for confirmation."

Yash has reduced his food intake and has lost a considerable amount of weight since he was last operated on in March by a team of veterinarians led by Dr CC Wakankar and assisted by Dr Pradnya Pethe, Dr Manish Pingle and Dr Ajay Deshmukh. In a nearly three-hour operation, the SGNP doctors removed a tumour, called a granuloma, from his face. He had been previously operated upon for a growth on the central portion of his lower lip in August last year. The samples had been collected and sent for further analysis, where the cancer was detected. Earlier this month, the last white tiger at the park, famously know as Bajirao, died of old age.

SGNP's tigers
Basanti: 16+ years old
Yash: 11 years old
Anand: 9 years old
Laxmi: 9 years old
Bijli: 9 years old
Mastani: 9 years old

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