One of two Siberian Tigers at the Greater Vancouver Zoo has died suddenly after becoming sick with an unknown disease.
Hani was found dead first thing in the morning. She appeared healthy although it was noticed by her keepers that she had been abnormally off her food for a day, lethargic and her behaviour was off.
Hani was born at sister zoo in Seoul Zoo Korea, on May 22, 2011. She arrived at the Greater Vancouver Zoo with her sister, Hana, on June 4, 2012. Hani was the smaller of the two tigers and had a quiet demeanor when compared to her sister.
A full necropsy that will be performed later hopefully to provide some answers.
The median life expectancy of female Siberian Tigers is 14 years in captivity.
In the wild there are estimated to be as few as 400 – 500 Siberian Tigers living primarily in eastern Russia, although some exist in China and North Korea.
Tigers are listed as “endangered” conservation status by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species.
