Dehradun has a new wild celebrity—and he has blue eyes!
Meet Tejas, a rare 2.5-year-old blue-eyed white tiger who has travelled 556 km from Gwalior Zoological Park to Dehradun Zoo, marking the arrival of Uttarakhand’s first-ever white tiger.
Tejas made the journey in a specially designed rescue vehicle, accompanied by a 13-member team of veterinarians and forest officials. The trip took around 12–14 hours, with the team closely monitoring him throughout the journey.
Not just yet! Tejas is currently under a mandatory 20-day quarantine, where he will be monitored and undergo routine health checks while getting comfortable in his new home. The zoo is expected to introduce him to visitors in about a month, with plans reportedly timed around Wildlife Week.
And there’s a little more to this tiger tale. Tejas arrived in Dehradun as part of a wildlife exchange programme approved by the Central Zoo Authority. In exchange, Dehradun Zoo sent Bhola, a 5-year-old Royal Bengal tiger, to Gwalior.
For Dehradun residents, this means one thing: a very striking new reason to plan that zoo visit! Once Tejas is ready for public viewing, his white coat and piercing blue eyes are likely to make him one of the biggest attractions at the zoo, formerly known as Malsi Deer Park.
