LAHORE, Feb 24: A six-year-old white tigress called Jill died of high fever on Monday evening in the Lahore Zoo. "The big cat fell seriously ill on Sunday and died within 36 hours due to high fever," Zoo director Raja Muhammad Javed told Dawn on Tuesday.

He said the zoo doctor in consultation with experts of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences had tried its best to save the tigress which did not show any sign of illness before her sudden collapse. Her death has reduced the total number of tigers to 14 at the zoo.

Jill's body was sent to the Veterinary Research Institute (VRI) for preservation. The Lahore Zoo, it is learnt, is yet to receive the preserved body of Breeta, a five-year old white tigress, who died from epilepsy last year.

Jill belonged to an endangered breed of Bengal tigers which is on the red data list of the International Union for Conservation Nature (IUCN). According to the WWF, about 100 Bengal tigers left in the world are not being properly taken care of.