L.A. Zoo’s Only Tiger Euthanized at Age 16
The Los Angeles Zoo’s only tiger was euthanized this week because of declining health, officials said Wednesday.
Indira, the tiger, was 16. Her kidneys were failing, and veterinarians had determined that she could not recover to live a comfortable life, according to the zoo.
“We knew three years ago that things were quite bad,” said Janna Wynne, a zoo veterinarian. “We didn’t expect her to live this long.”
Most tigers do not live past the age of 10 in the wild, she said. At 16, Indira was roughly equivalent to a 70-year-old human being, according to the zoo.
“We’re sorry to lose her, but she lived a long and comfortable life at the L.A. Zoo,” said Michael Dee, general curator. “It was exciting to hear her call out in the late afternoon like she would in the wild. She was a popular cat and many of our visitors loved her.”
The tiger, along with sisters Rani and Shankara, came to the zoo from the Wildlife Way Station in 1993, said zoo spokeswoman Judy Shay.
The three tiger siblings were born at a wildlife park in New Zealand and were moved to the animal refuge in the foothills of Tujunga. Rani and Shankara also died of kidney disease at ages 12 and 13, respectively.
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